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Enallagma civile
Familiar Bluet
Family: Coenagrionidae
Species account author: Robert Cannings.
Extracted from Introducing the Dragonflies of British Columbia and the Yukon (2002)
Introduction to the Odonata of BC
The Families of Odonata of BC


Photograph

© Blair Nikula     (Photo ID #1248)

Map

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Distribution of Enallagma civile in British Columbia.
(Click on the map to view a larger version.)
Source: (for the static map) RBCM and BCCDC 2004 ©

Species Information


Description

Male’s appendages shown in figure. Female has no pale area on top of segment 8. Length: ♂ 35 mm, ♀ 33 mm.


Flight Period

B.C., (probably) early June to mid October.

Genus Description


There are two genera of bluets: Coenagrion and Enallagma. Coenagrion live mainly in Europe and Asia. Two species range across most of northern North America: the common Taiga Bluet and the rarer Subarctic Bluet. A third, the Prairie Bluet, flies on the Great Plains. Most Eurasian Bluet adults fly in late spring or early summer. They are similar to those of Enallagma - males are blue and black (but often green below); but the structure of the male appendages is different and females have no vulvar spine.

Biology

Family Description

Small damselflies that normally perch with wings closed above the abdomen. Most males are blue marked with black, but the main colour may be green, yellow, orange, red or purple. Females often have two colour forms per species, one similar to the male (usually blue). Females lay eggs in the tissues of water plants, sometimes completely submerging themselves for a long time while laying. Larave are not as long as spreadwing larave and have short labia, unstalked at the base. There are six genera and 18 species of pond damsels in our region. The American Bluets (Enallagma) and forktails (Ischnura) are the most common groups.
Field Notes

One of the most common and widespread American damselflies, especially east of the Rockies, but recorded only once in B.C., an old record from Bridge Lake in the Cariboo. Closely related to the Tule Bluet. Often colonizes temporary and newly created water bodies.

Distribution


Southern. In B.C., recorded only in the Cariboo region.

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)		COSEWIC
NativeSHRedNot Listed



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