| Arroyo bluet | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Suborder: | Zygoptera |
| Family: | Coenagrionidae |
| Genus: | Enallagma |
| Species: | E. praevarum |
| Binomial name | |
| Enallagma praevarum (Hagen, 1861) | |
The arroyo bluet (Enallagma praevarum) is a damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae, native to the western United States, south to southern Mexico. It is associated with slow-flowing streams or lake margins with emergent vegetation. [1]
Males have blue eyes, accompanied by oval, raindrop shaped turquoise spots above each eye. Their abdomen is blue with large black rectangular spots lining the top, ending in an abdomen tip of the same color set. [2]
Females possess the same build as males, but can also be found in tan or lighter blue shades rather than turquoise. Their legs are a lighter brown color (as opposed to black), and the spots above their eyes are usually larger than their male counterparts. [2]
Arroyo Bluets occupy both the west coast of Southern California and the region of sagebrush along the northeastern California border. The elevations at which the Arroyo bluet can be most commonly found are best described as intermediate. In northeastern California, the Arroyo Bluet has been recorded from sea level at elevations up to 4,600 feet or 1,400 meters. [2] These damselflies are abundant in western Texas, [2] along with south Nevada, and statewide-spread throughout Arizona and New Mexico. [3]
The habitat of the Arroyo Bluet typically consists of open regions with abundances of shrubs and trees. The climate of their habitat is typically arid. The Arroyo Bluet tends to inhabit areas in which there are bodies of water such as ponds and the backwaters of arroyos, washes, canyons, and rivers. Their habitat may be generally referred to as riparian thickets. [4]
The Arroyo Bluet exhibits behavior that is similar to other bluets. It forages in its habitat and in the opposite direction of where water is located such as in oak savannas and grasslands. The flight season of the Arroyo Bluet consists of the month of March until October. [4]
Males are often found near water where vegetation is abundant. Females are often found in mating pairs. Female pairs will oviposit within vegetation that is floating. They submerge themselves underwater to lay eggs while males guard above water. [3]
Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along the body when at rest, unlike dragonflies which hold the wings flat and away from the body. An ancient group, damselflies have existed since at least the Lower Permian beginning about 299 million years ago, and are found on every continent except Antarctica.
Enallagma cyathigerum is a species found mainly between latitudes 40°N and 72°N; It is widely distributed in the Palearctic, and the Nearctic species Enallagma annexum was at one time considered to be synonymous with it. The species can reach a length of 32 to 35 mm. It is common in many different countries including Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the United States of America, and South Korea. Damselflies are an important link between the health of the aquatic ecosystem and its response to climate change.
The blue-eyed darner is a common dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae; native to the western United States, it is commonly sighted in the sagebrush steppe of the Snake River Plain, occurring east to the Midwest from central Canada and the Dakotas south to west Texas and Oklahoma. In Central America it occurs south to Panama. This is usually the second earliest darner to emerge in the spring, with the California darner emerging first. It hunts small flying insects while on the wing.
Erythemis simplicicollis, the eastern pondhawk, also known as the common pondhawk, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to the eastern two-thirds of the United States and southern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is a dragonfly of ponds and still waters. The species is distinguished in that the female is bright green with a banded abdomen and the mature male has a blue abdomen with a green face and green and blue thorax.
Enallagma is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae commonly known as bluets. Adults range in length from 28 mm to 40 mm. Males are usually bright blue and black while the coloration of females varies by species. Bluets can be distinguished from the similar vivid dancer by wing position; at rest, bluets' wings hang down on either side of their body, while vivid dancers hold their wings above their body. Bluets also have shorter leg spines.
Azuragrion granti, the Socotra bluet or Grant's bluet, is a species of narrow-winged damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is endemic to Socotra in the Indian Ocean. It is a member of the narrow-winged damselfly family Coenagrionidae with its closest relatives originating in Africa, for example Azuragrion nigridorsum.
The double-striped bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. This species grows to lengths 21–28 mm. Its common name from the peculiar black shoulder stripe, which is divided in two by a thin blue stripe. This is the key identification characteristic; no other damselfly has a shoulder stripe that looks like this one.
The stream bluet is a species of American bluet damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. Its length is 29–37 mm. Many bluet species prefer ponds and lakes; the stream bluet as its name implies is most at home along moving waters. It can be found along small to medium-sized rivers. It is occasionally found at lakes too. In many species of damselflies the males have a blue tip to the abdomen. Enallagma exsulans is one of those less common cases where the female, too, has a blue abdominal tip. Summertime is the best time to look for stream bluets.
Elattoneura frenulata is a species of damselfly in the family Platycnemididae known commonly as the sooty threadtail or Roetswartdraadstertjie. It is endemic to South Africa. It is a localised endemic of montane areas of the Western Cape, marginally expanding into the western parts of the Eastern Cape. Though it has a restricted distribution, it is locally common. It lives near slow-moving rivers with abundant vegetation.
The tule bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae found in North America, from northern Mexico to southern Canada.
The marsh bluet is a damselfly species in the family Coenagrionidae.
The orange bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.
The boreal bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.
Enallagma traviatum is a species of small damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is commonly known as the slender bluet. The slender is small about 29–32 mm in length.
Enallagma annexum, the northern bluet, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. Enallagma annexum was formerly included with Enallagma cyathigerum.
Aeshna canadensis, the Canada darner, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is common throughout southern Canada and the northern United States.
Proischnura polychromatica, the mauve bluet, is a small species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is endemic to a small area of Cape Province in South Africa. The adult male has a mauve sheen to its dark-coloured body, a bronze-green thorax striped with mauve, and a pale brown abdomen with a bronze-green dorsal stripe. The female is mainly pale brown. The natural habitat of this damselfly is transient pools in stream beds with floating vegetation, especially sedges. Although previously more widespread, it is now known from a single location where it is threatened by the encroachment of cattle and the loss of suitable habitat. For these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as "endangered".
Ischnura erratica, the swift forktail, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is native to the Pacific Northwest, ranging from British Columbia to northern California.
Acanthagrion quadratum, or Mexican wedgetail, is a pond damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. It was first described by Edmond de Sélys Longchamps in 1876.
Enallagma semicirculare, the claw-tipped bluet, is a species of damselfly generally found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. It has also been sighted in southern Texas.
