Species Argia apicalis - Blue-fronted Dancer

ape-ih-CA-lis

One of 30 Nearctic species

33-40 mm

Mature males have the thorax almost completely blue, with only very thin black lines. Segments 8, 9, and 10 are all blue.

Identifying female dancers are tricky, and this species has both a blue form female and a brown form female. See Lam, page 44(1) for good illustrations of the females.

From the U.S. Great Plains east, and from Florida through Texas and New Mexico, and on into Mexico.

Ontario is the only province of Canada to have reported this species. - ** Not any more! See the images recently submitted by Larry de March from Manitoba

Tiny flying insects.

From Odonata Central:

"Variable thoracic stripe patterns are seen in individuals along the periphery of the species' southeastern distribution, with both a broad-striped form, having a wide full-length humeral stripe, and the more typical form with a reduced pattern, as seen in the south-central United States."

also see

and

Blue-form female of Powdered Dancer, Argia moesta, is very similar.

Lam, page 44(1)

Nikula, Sones, and Stokes, page 68 (2)

Dragonflies and Damselflies of West Virginia