Boreal Bluet
Encyclopedia
The Boreal Bluet is a species of damselfly
in the family
Coenagrionidae
.
. Even both of these species share similar ranges in North America, they are almost never found at the same body of water. Both the Boreal Bluet and the Northern Bluet are found early in the season. The reasons for this separation remains still unknown.
Enallagma
many species look similar to each other. The Boreal Bluet looks has similar to many bluet species. They include the Northern Bluet
, Familiar Bluet, Hagen's Bluet, Marsh Bluet, and Vernal Bluet. It can be distinguished from familiar bluet by the large postocular spots and the shorter cerci. The characteristics shared by Northern and Boreal Bluets are their large eyespots, and a mushroom-shaped black spot on abdominal segment S2. Its best seen dorsally.
Damselfly
Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Coenagrionidae
Coenagrionidae
The insect family Coenagrionidae is found in the order Odonata and the suborder Zygoptera. The Zygoptera are the damselflies, which although less known than the dragonflies, are no less common. There are more than 1100 species in this family, making it the largest damselfly family...
.
Adult
The Boreal Bluet is a small damselfly with a length of 1 to 1.6 inches (26 to 40 mm) long. The male is predominately blue on the sides of its thorax, and the upper side of its abdomen. Its lower abdominal appendages are longer than its upper appendages. The female's body is greenish-yellow to brown color. The upper side of its abdomen is mostly black.Nymph
The nymph of the Boreal Bluet is small in size with a length of 0.75 to 1 inch (19 to 23 mm). It has the typical slender shape of many immature damselflies. Nymphs range in color from light to dark brown.Distribution
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Habitat
The Boreal Bluet occurs along lakes, ponds, marshes, and streams with slow to moderate flow. This species occurs in a wide variety of habitats, from sagebrush desert to mountain lakes.Flight season
Boreal Bluets can have a flight season of early June to late August. They also have a flight season from late March to late September.Adult
The Boreal Bluet eats a wide variety of small soft-bodied flying insects, including mosquitoes, mayflies, flies and small moths. They will sometimes pick small insects such as aphids from plants.Nymph
The nymph eats a wide variety of aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, mayfly larvae, and other aquatic fly larvae.Ecology
The boreal bluet looks almost identical to the northern bluetEnallagma annexum
The Northern Bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.- Identification :The Northern Bluet is a small damselfly with a length of 1 to 1.6 inches long. The male is predominately blue on the sides of its thorax, and the upper side of its abdomen...
. Even both of these species share similar ranges in North America, they are almost never found at the same body of water. Both the Boreal Bluet and the Northern Bluet are found early in the season. The reasons for this separation remains still unknown.
Reproduction
Male Boreal Bluets set up territories at their choice breeding sites. After both genders mate, the female Boreal Bluet oviposits in aquatic vegetation.Similar species
Like many bluets in the genusGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Enallagma
Enallagma
Enallagma is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae commonly known as bluets. The genus consists of the following species:*Enallagma ambiguum *Enallagma anna – River Bluet*Enallagma annexum – Northern Bluet...
many species look similar to each other. The Boreal Bluet looks has similar to many bluet species. They include the Northern Bluet
Enallagma annexum
The Northern Bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.- Identification :The Northern Bluet is a small damselfly with a length of 1 to 1.6 inches long. The male is predominately blue on the sides of its thorax, and the upper side of its abdomen...
, Familiar Bluet, Hagen's Bluet, Marsh Bluet, and Vernal Bluet. It can be distinguished from familiar bluet by the large postocular spots and the shorter cerci. The characteristics shared by Northern and Boreal Bluets are their large eyespots, and a mushroom-shaped black spot on abdominal segment S2. Its best seen dorsally.
Subspecies
Enallagma boreale has two different subspecies. The following are the two subspecies:- Enallagma boreale boreale
- Enallagma boreale yezoense