FAMILIAR BLUET Enallagma civile

DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF WEST VIRGINIA SPECIES PAGE

On males, look for a broad black shoulder stripe, and an abdomen that has more blue than black. The black color is most extensive on abdominal segments six and seven. Segments eight and nine are entirely blue.

The eyespots are most often small and comma-shaped, or roundish, but unfortunately this is not true of every individual.

Immature males have a tan coloration in place of the blue.

The lighter color on females may be blue, tan, or greenish. On females, look for an abdomen that is mostly black on top. Eyespots and thoracic markings will be the same as in the males.

The Familiar Bluet males can be seen flying very low over ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams. As hunters, both males and females have the habit of plucking small insects off plants as they fly by. Favored perches include logs, the ground, and waterside plants; the species has a preference for perching horizontally, but can also be found perched diagonally.

While this species can be hard to distinguish from certain other bluets, fortunately most of the closest look-like species don’t live in West Virginia.

The exception is Hagen's Bluet, Enallagma hageni. The Familiar Bluet and Hagen's Bluet are so close in appearance, if they haven't been given an expert examination in the hand with a magnifying glass, they should be recorded as Enallagma civile/hageni.

One hint that may help make a probable identification of a Hagen's or Familiar Bluet in West Virginia is habitat. Familiar Bluet is found across West Virginia, while Hagen's has only been reported from the mountain counties at the eastern edge of the state. If a damselfly is found at a sphagnum bog in the eastern moutains, it is most likely Enallagma hageni, as that species has a preference for acidic water.

For site visitors outside West Virginia, note that elsewhere Hagen's Bluet is not an exclusively mountain species, although the preference for acidic wetlands is true of Hagen's Bluets everywhere.

On top of the abdomen, the black coloration is most extensive on segments 6 and 7, while segments 8 and 9 are all-blue.

The eyespots of Familiar Bluet are not huge, and are usually round or comma-shaped.

Familiar Bluets in the wheel position for mating. The lighter color on females may be tan, greenish, or (as is the case here), blue.

All images on this page are © Stephen Cresswell.

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