# Blue-ringed Dancer (*Argia sedula*) The Blue-ringed Dancer is a beautiful dragonfly with bright blue rings on its body. It loves to dance around water and is often seen flitting over ponds and streams. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Blue-ringed Dancer](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Argia_sedula_267403091.jpg&width=800) Photo: averagewalrus, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Argia_sedula_267403091.jpg) ## Appearance The Blue-ringed Dancer is a slender damselfly with a striking metallic blue body and distinct black markings. Males display vibrant sky-blue rings on a mostly black abdomen, contrasting with their clear, delicate wings. Females are often duller, appearing yellowish-brown or greenish-tan. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Coenagrionidae - **Genus:** Argia ## Interesting facts - Baby Blue-ringed Dancers live underwater for months, breathing through feathery gills on their tails! - Males perform a special 'courtship dance' to impress females before they decide to lay eggs! - They are incredible mosquito hunters, helping to keep those pesky biting bugs away from you! - Unlike dragonflies, these dancers hold their wings neatly together over their backs when resting! ## Special abilities - **Omni-Vision:** Blue-ringed Dancer has massive compound eyes that help them spot tiny flying insects from far away, even behind them. - **Precision Aerialist:** Blue-ringed Dancer can dart, hover, and fly backward using four independent wings, helping them catch prey and escape predators with ease. - **Vivid Signaling:** Blue-ringed Dancer has bright blue rings on its abdomen that help males attract mates and also identify others of their own kind. - **Aquatic Breath:** Blue-ringed Dancer larvae live underwater and breathe through gills on their tail, helping them survive and grow in ponds and streams. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 45-70 mm - **Size:** 28-38 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-60 days - **Flight Speed:** 18 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Tiny hunters, they feast on small flying insects like mosquitoes and gnats! - **Age differences:** Larvae (nymphs) eat aquatic insects and small invertebrates; adults hunt flying insects. - **Primary Foods:** mosquitoes, gnats, small flies, midges - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Common House Mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — Helps control mosquito numbers near freshwater. - **Eaten by:** [American Bullfrog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bullfrog) (*Lithobates catesbeianus*) — Adult damselflies are a tasty snack for bullfrogs. - **Eaten by:** [Yellow Perch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-perch) (*Perca flavescens*) — Its aquatic nymphs are eaten by various fish. - **Eaten by:** [Common Green Darner](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-green-darner) (*Anax junius*) — Larger dragonflies will sometimes prey on them. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [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. - [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. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [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 careful near water where dragonflies live, and don't try to catch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Blue-ringed 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 Blue-ringed Dancer's wingspan? 45-70 mm ### How big is Blue-ringed Dancer? 28-38 mm ### How long does Blue-ringed Dancer live? 30-60 days ### How fast can Blue-ringed Dancer fly? 18 km/h ### What does Blue-ringed Dancer eat? Tiny hunters, they feast on small flying insects like mosquitoes and gnats! ### Where is Blue-ringed Dancer usually found? Wetlands ### How does Blue-ringed Dancer hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Circleville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/circleville-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Ridgewood Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ridgewood-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [San Antonio Missions National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-antonio-missions-national-historical-park) — Texas, US · National Park - [Elizabeth](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elizabeth) — North Carolina, US · Neighborhood - [National Butterfly Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/national-butterfly-center) — Texas, US · Nature Reserve - [Rancho Estelle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rancho-estelle) — US · Historic District [View all places to see Blue-ringed Dancer](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/blue-ringed-dancer) ## 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: [Blue-ringed Dancer: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-ringed-dancer)