Orange Bluet
Encyclopedia
Enallagma signatum is a species of damselfly
in the family
Coenagrionidae
, commonly known as the orange bluet.
stands out from other many bluets because of its orange color. On male orange bluets, the thorax is orange with a thick, black stipe along the back and black shoulder stripes. His abdomen is mostly black with some orange rings, orange below, and orange near the tip. His large eyes are orange on a black head; small orange postocular spots are connected across the back of the head by an orange bar. On female orange bluets, the thorax is similar looking to the male thorax only the color is dull yellow instead of orange. Her abdomen is mostly black above and dull yellow below. Her large eyes are yellow-brown with small yellow postocular spots connected by a thin, yellow bar. The female can also be one of three forms. The first remains blue throughout life, one becomes green and the third becomes orange.
are orange and are found along side the orange Bluet, but they will have much longer and thinner abdomens. Their abdomens are twice as long as the length of their wings. It also looks similar to the Florida bluet which is orange in color.
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...
, commonly known as the orange bluet.
Identification
This species of bluetEnallagma
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...
stands out from other many bluets because of its orange color. On male orange bluets, the thorax is orange with a thick, black stipe along the back and black shoulder stripes. His abdomen is mostly black with some orange rings, orange below, and orange near the tip. His large eyes are orange on a black head; small orange postocular spots are connected across the back of the head by an orange bar. On female orange bluets, the thorax is similar looking to the male thorax only the color is dull yellow instead of orange. Her abdomen is mostly black above and dull yellow below. Her large eyes are yellow-brown with small yellow postocular spots connected by a thin, yellow bar. The female can also be one of three forms. The first remains blue throughout life, one becomes green and the third becomes orange.
Habitat
This bluet is often found near streams, ponds, pools with still waters, slow moving streams, and rivers.Distribution
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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• VermontVermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
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Size
The orange bluet is small in size with an average length of 1 – 1 ½ inches. Its hingwing is 15–21 mm long.Diet
Orange bluets feed on insects. Their flight pattern is slow, moving in and out of emergent vegetation.Habits
The orange bluet may perch on rock, foliage, water lilies, other emergent vegetation, and on the bare ground along the shore with wings together.Similar Species
Orange bluets are similar to cherry, burgundy, and scarlet bluets. All three bluets are red not orange. General vesper bluets are similar, but the black humeral stripe is either lacking or narrowly reduced in that species. Threadtail damselfliesProtoneuridae
Protoneuridae is a family of damselflies. Most species are commonly known as threadtails, while others are commonly known as bambootails. They are called threadtails because their abdomen are pin-thin. Threadtails are usually small size damselflies and their wings are usually transparent...
are orange and are found along side the orange Bluet, but they will have much longer and thinner abdomens. Their abdomens are twice as long as the length of their wings. It also looks similar to the Florida bluet which is orange in color.