Marsh bluet

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Marsh bluet
Marsh Bluet, male.jpg
male
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Enallagma
Species:
E. ebrium
Binomial name
Enallagma ebrium
(Hagen, 1861)

The marsh bluet (Enallagma ebrium) is a damselfly species in the family Coenagrionidae.

Contents

Description

Habitat

Marsh bluets are usually found near lowland lakes, ponds, and marshes, and has a definite preference for alkaline waters.

Diet

Size

It is a smaller species of bluets, with a size of 25–34 mm (0.98–1.34 in) in length. [1]

Distribution

Habits

Marsh bluets perch occasionally on vegetation in the area with the wings together. Their flight pattern is slow. They dart in and out of emergent vegetation.

Flight season

The marsh bluet is active early June to early September.

Ecology

Marsh bluets are very common at alkaline marshes in mid-summer.

Reproduction

In wheel position Marsh Bluets in wheel position, Mer Bleue.jpg
In wheel position

Males set up territories at choice breeding sites. After males and females mate, the female oviposits, or lays her eggs, either singly or in tandem with the male. They will descend as much as a foot under the water to oviposit in aquatic vegetation.

Similar species

The marsh bluet looks similar to the Hagen's bluet and the familiar bluet.

Related Research Articles

Damselfly Suborder of insects

Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, 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, and are found on every continent except Antarctica.

<i>Enallagma cyathigerum</i> Species of damselfly

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.

Large red damselfly Species of insect

The Large red damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula, is a species of damselflies belonging to the family Coenagrionidae.

<i>Megaloprepus caerulatus</i> Species of damselfly

Megaloprepus caerulatus is a damselfly of the Forest Giant family (Pseudostigmatidae), found in wet and moist forests in Central and South America. It has the greatest wingspan of any living damselfly or dragonfly, up to 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) in the largest males. Its large size and the markings on its wings make it a conspicuous species; a hovering Megaloprepus has been described as a "pulsating blue-and-white beacon".

<i>Sympetrum vicinum</i> Species of dragonfly

Sympetrum vicinum, the yellow-legged meadowhawk or autumn meadowhawk, is a member of the Libellulidae family and grows to 26–35 mm long.

Double-striped bluet Species of damselfly

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.

Tule bluet Species of damselfly

The tule bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae found in North America, from northern Mexico to southern Canada.

<i>Band-winged meadowhawk</i> Species of dragonfly

The band-winged meadowhawk is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum belonging to the family Libellulidae.

Orange bluet Species of damselfly

The orange bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.

Dot-tailed whiteface Species of dragonfly

The dot-tailed whiteface is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is also one of the most common and widespread in the genus Leucorrhinia.

Shadow darner Species of dragonfly

The shadow darner is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is found in almost all of Canada and most states in the United States.

Desert whitetail Species of dragonfly

The desert whitetail is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. P. subornata is often put into the genus Libellula.

<i>Sympetrum madidum</i> Species of dragonfly

Sympetrum madidum, the red-veined meadowhawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.

Boreal bluet Species of damselfly

The boreal bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.

Gray sanddragon Species of dragonfly

Progomphus borealis is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. This dragonfly species is commonly known as the gray sanddragon.

Slender bluet Species of damselfly

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.

<i>Gomphurus externus</i> Species of dragonfly

Gomphurus externus, the plains clubtail, is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae.

Pronghorn clubtail Species of dragonfly

Phanogomphus graslinellus is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. This species is commonly known as the pronghorn clubtail.

Hudsonian whiteface Species of dragonfly

The Hudsonian whiteface is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common name comes from where it is found, Hudson Bay.

<i>Enallagma annexum</i> Species of damselfly

Enallagma annexum, the northern bluet, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. Enallagma annexum was formerly included with Enallagma cyathigerum.

References

  1. Lam, E. (2004) Damselflies of the Northeast. Forest Hills, NY:Biodiversity Books, p. 74.