Enallagma annexum
Encyclopedia
The Northern Bluet is a species of damselfly
in the family
Coenagrionidae
.
Enallagma
many species look similar to each other. The Northern Bluet looks has similar to many bluet species. They include the Boreal 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...
.
Identification
The Northern 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.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 Northern Bluet looks has similar to many bluet species. They include the Boreal 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.
External links
- Northern Bluet, Monterey Odonata
- Northern Bluet, NJodes
- Northern Bluet, Cirrus Image