Springwater Dancer
Encyclopedia
The Springwater Dancer is a damselfly
of the family Coenagrionidae
.
The female is pale brown.
especially the similar looking Vivid Dancer.
The Apache Dancer is larger, but with an overall length of 34-40mm the Springwater tends to be larger than
the other similar blue dancers including the Lavender Dancer
.
The stripe on the side of the thorax is forked in the Aztec Dancer
and Variable Dancer
.
The scientific name, plana, means flat or wandering, but the significance is unknown.
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...
of the family 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...
.
Description
The Springwater Dancer has a black stripe along the side of its thorax. The male is typically blue, but some can be violet.The female is pale brown.
Similar Species
Its central range helps to distinguish it from the other blue damselflies with which it is easily confused,especially the similar looking Vivid Dancer.
The Apache Dancer is larger, but with an overall length of 34-40mm the Springwater tends to be larger than
the other similar blue dancers including the Lavender Dancer
Lavender Dancer
The Lavender Dancer is a damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae, native to the western United States from west Texas to southern California, as well as adjacent regions of northern Mexico.-External links:* profile and photo* photos...
.
The stripe on the side of the thorax is forked in the Aztec Dancer
Aztec Dancer
The Aztec Dancer damselfly is one of the pond damsels. The dark black stripe on the side of the thorax is forked from front to back. Other field marks include blue postocular spots, pale blue legs with a black stripe, and a blue ring on the seventh segment of the abdomen....
and Variable Dancer
Variable Dancer
The Variable Dancer is a widespread damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae, native to North America. The subspecies A. f. violacea, native to the eastern United States is also known as the Violet Dancer. It is called this because of its purple iridescent color.-External links:* at AzOdes* ...
.
Etymology
The Springwater Dancer's preferred habitat of shallow springs is reflected in its common name.The scientific name, plana, means flat or wandering, but the significance is unknown.