# Aztec Dancer (*Argia nahuana*) The Aztec Dancer is a beautiful dragonfly with bright colors. It loves to flutter around near water, showing off its amazing flying skills. Watching it dance in the air is like seeing a tiny rainbow! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Aztec Dancer](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Aztec_Dancer_Argia_nahuana_2009-04-19.jpg&width=800) Photo: Gaberlunzi (Richard Murphy), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aztec_Dancer_Argia_nahuana_2009-04-19.jpg) ## Appearance The Aztec Dancer is a slender damselfly, usually bright blue with black markings on its abdomen and thorax, especially in males. Its clear, delicate wings are held together over its back when resting, unlike dragonflies. Females are typically duller, often greenish-brown or bluish-gray. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Coenagrionidae - **Genus:** Argia ## Interesting facts - Aztec Dancer babies live underwater for months or even years before flying! - Male Aztec Dancers perform dazzling aerial dances to attract a mate! - They can eat hundreds of tiny annoying mosquitoes in just one day! - When an Aztec Dancer grows up, it leaves its old skin behind clinging to a plant! ## Special abilities - **Acrobatic Flight:** Aztec Dancer can quickly change direction in mid-air because of its agile wings that help them hunt flying insects. - **Underwater Hunter:** Its nymphs (young Aztec Dancers) can breathe underwater using gills that helps them hunt tiny aquatic prey. - **360-Degree Vision:** Aztec Dancer has huge compound eyes that helps them spot prey and predators from almost any direction. - **Stealthy Tracker:** Aztec Dancer can dart quickly through dense vegetation because of its slender body, helping it evade predators. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 40-55 mm - **Size:** 30-38 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-60 days - **Flight Speed:** 10 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Tiny flying insects are on the menu for this speedy hunter, keeping mosquito populations in check! - **Age differences:** Young Aztec Dancers (nymphs) eat aquatic insects, while adults hunt flying insects in the air. - **Primary Foods:** mosquitoes, gnats, small flies, midges, mayflies - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** common mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — Adults help control mosquito populations. - **Eaten by:** [common green darner](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-green-darner) (*Anax junius*) — Larger dragonflies sometimes prey on smaller damselflies. - **Eaten by:** [American bullfrog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bullfrog) (*Lithobates catesbeianus*) — Frogs prey on adult damselflies near water. - **Eaten by:** [western mosquitofish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-mosquitofish) (*Gambusia affinis*) — Fish eat damselfly nymphs in the water. ## Traits - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Be gentle and quiet when watching dragonflies so you don't scare them away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Aztec Dancer? Compare wing shape and resting posture, where the eyes sit, body markings and the tail segments. Males and females can look very different in color. Dragonfly Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Aztec Dancer's wingspan? 40-55 mm ### How big is Aztec Dancer? 30-38 mm ### How long does Aztec Dancer live? 30-60 days ### How fast can Aztec Dancer fly? 10 km/h ### What does Aztec Dancer eat? Tiny flying insects are on the menu for this speedy hunter, keeping mosquito populations in check! ### Where is Aztec Dancer usually found? Wetlands ### How does Aztec Dancer hunt? Pursuit ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Aztec Dancer: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/aztec-dancer)