HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

See Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in Wisconsin, July 10-12

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowse

Info

ImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Damselflies (Zygoptera) » Narrow-winged Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) » Dancers (Argia) » Blue-tipped Dancer (Argia tibialis)

Species Argia tibialis - Blue-tipped Dancer

Classification · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Damselfly - Blue-tipped Dancer? - Argia tibialis

Brown Damselfly on Rock - Argia tibialis - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)

Suborder Zygoptera (Damselflies)

Family Coenagrionidae (Narrow-winged Damselflies)

Genus Argia (Dancers)

Species tibialis (Blue-tipped Dancer)

Numbers

One of 30 Nearctic species in the genus.

Size

total length 30-38 mm

Identification

Male very dark above, with broad brownish-purple stripes on thorax, abdominal segments 9 and 10 blue. Female has blue and brown forms, but in both note wide black shoulder stripes, mostly dark abdomen. See Odonata Central for detailed description.

Range

Texas to Florida, north to Pennsylvania, west through southern Ontario to Minnesota

Habitat

streams, rivers, sloughs; usually perches on the ground

Season

March to September in the south (October in Florida); June through August in the north

Food

small aquatic insects caught in flight

Life Cycle

Oviposit in tandem, in aquatic vegetation or sometimes in wet wood above the water line--an unusual site (1).

Print References

Dunkle, pp. 84-85, figs. 61, 62 (1)

Lam, p. 47 (2)

Abbott, pp. 85-86, photo 10f (3)

Internet References

live adult image of male, plus several categories of info (Odonata Central)

live adult images of male and female (Dragonflies and Damselflies of West Virginia)

live adult image of male (Robert Behrstock, Texas A&M U.)

live adult image of brown female (Robert Behrstock, Texas A&M U.)

live adult image of blue female (Giff Beaton, Georgia)

live adult image of male (Giff Beaton, Georgia)

Works Cited

1.	Damselflies of Florida, Bermuda, and the Bahamas Sidney W. Dunkle. 1991. Scientific Publishers.

2.	Damselflies of the Northeast Ed Lam. 2004. Biodiversity Books.

3.	Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States John C. Abbott. 2005. Princeton University Press.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 14 April, 2005 - 6:31pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Stephen_WV, Harsi S. Parker
Last updated 4 January, 2010 - 1:48pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2023 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version