Enallagma (American Bluets)

There are two genera of bluets: Coenagrion and Enallagma. Enallagma is a large genus, predominantly North American, containing most of the common blue-and-black damselflies in our region. Species identification requires close inspection. Females can be especially tricky: they are blue, green or brown; on most, the base of the abdominal segments is pale and the tips black; and all have a vulvar spine (fig. 4). Males are mostly sky blue with black stripes on the thorax and black rings around the abdominal segments; their appendages offer the best identification clues. The larvae, similar to those of Coenagrion, are patterned in brown or green and usually climb in aquatic vegetation.

Figure 4. Male appendages of Enallagma, a-c, side view; d-g left, side view; d-g right, top view. a, ebrium; b, civile; c, carunculatum; d, clausum; e, boreale; f, hageni; g, annexum. A10 = abdominal segment 10; UA, LA = upper, lower appendages.

Enallagma annexum (Northern Bluet)

Enallagma boreale (Boreal Bluet)

Enallagma carunculatum (Tule Bluet)

Enallagma civile (Familiar Bluet)

Enallagma clausum (Alkali Bluet)

Enallagma ebrium (Marsh Bluet)

Enallagma hageni (Hagen's Bluet)