# Double-striped Bluet (*Enallagma basidens*) The Double-striped Bluet is a small, beautiful dragonfly with bright blue colors and two black stripes on its body. These friendly insects love to flutter around ponds and streams, making them fun to watch! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Double-striped Bluet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Double-striped_Bluet_-_Enallagma_basidens%252C_Richard_G_Thompson_Wildlife_Management_Area%252C_Linden%252C_Virginia_-_7185755366.jpg&width=800) Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Double-striped_Bluet_-_Enallagma_basidens%252C_Richard_G_Thompson_Wildlife_Management_Area%252C_Linden%252C_Virginia_-_7185755366.jpg) ## Appearance The Double-striped Bluet is a slender damselfly, usually with a bright blue and black body. Males are predominantly blue with two distinct pale stripes along their black thorax. Females often appear duller, with greenish or brownish markings instead of bright blue. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Coenagrionidae - **Genus:** Enallagma ## Interesting facts - A Double-striped Bluet can swivel its head almost 180 degrees to spot tiny flying bugs! - Their babies, called nymphs, live underwater for months or even years before transforming! - These damselflies form a unique 'mating wheel' shape during reproduction! - They are excellent pest controllers, gobbling up hundreds of mosquitos in their lifetime! ## Special abilities - **Super Sight:** Double-striped Bluet has huge compound eyes that help them spot tiny flying prey from far away with incredible detail. - **Underwater Breath:** Double-striped Bluet nymphs can breathe underwater using special gills, allowing them to hunt and grow in aquatic habitats. - **Agile Aerialist:** Double-striped Bluet can hover and dart quickly because of its four independently controlled wings, making it a master flyer. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 30-45 mm - **Size:** 25-35 mm - **Lifespan:** 20-60 days - **Flight Speed:** 5-10 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding They gobble up tiny flying insects like mosquitos, and their young eat underwater bugs! - **Age differences:** Nymphs hunt small aquatic invertebrates, while adults prey on flying insects. - **Primary Foods:** Mosquitos, Gnats, Midges, Small flies, Aquatic larvae - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Common House Mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — Adults prey on this mosquito. - **Hunts:** Blood Midge (*Chironomus plumosus*) — Adults hunt these soft-bodied insects. - **Eaten by:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — Nymphs are a food source for fish. - **Eaten by:** [American Bullfrog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bullfrog) (*Lithobates catesbeianus*) — Adults are preyed upon by frogs. ## Traits - [Striped](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/striped): Marked with parallel bands or lines of color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [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 gentle and watch from a distance. Don't try to catch them! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Double-striped Bluet? 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 Double-striped Bluet's wingspan? 30-45 mm ### How big is Double-striped Bluet? 25-35 mm ### How long does Double-striped Bluet live? 20-60 days ### How fast can Double-striped Bluet fly? 5-10 km/h ### What does Double-striped Bluet eat? They gobble up tiny flying insects like mosquitos, and their young eat underwater bugs! ### Where is Double-striped Bluet usually found? Wetlands ### How does Double-striped Bluet hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Cedarville State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedarville-state-forest) — Maryland, US · Forest - [Chadwick Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chadwick-arboretum) — Ohio, US · Botanical Garden - [Rattlesnake Springs Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rattlesnake-springs-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Cox Arboretum and Gardens MetroPark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cox-arboretum-and-gardens-metropark) — Ohio, US · Botanical Garden - [Fort Lancaster](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-lancaster) — Texas, US · Historic Site - [Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lewis-ginter-botanical-garden) — Virginia, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Double-striped Bluet](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/double-striped-bluet) ## 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: [Double-striped Bluet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/double-striped-bluet)