Coenagrion (Eurasian Bluets)

There are two genera of bluets: Coenagrion and Enallagma. Coenagrion species live mainly in Europe and Asia. Two species range across most of northern North America: the common Taiga Bluet and the rarer Subarctic Bluet. A third, the Prairie Bluet, flies on the Great Plains. Most Eurasian Bluet adults fly in late spring or early summer. They are similar to those of Enallagma -- males are blue and black but unlike Enallagma species in BC, they are green under the thorax or have divided blue stripes on top of the thorax, or both. Also, the structure of the male appendages is different and females have no vulvar spine near the end of the abdomen.

Figure 3. Male appendages of Coenagrion, side view: a, resolutum; b, interrogatum; c, angulatum. A10 = abdominal segment 10; UA, LA = upper, lower appendages.

Coenagrion angulatum (Prairie Bluet)

Coenagrion interrogatum (Subarctic Bluet)

Coenagrion resolutum (Taiga Bluet)