# Familiar Bluet (*Enallagma civile*) The Familiar Bluet is a small, beautiful dragonfly with bright blue colors. They love to fly around ponds and streams, showing off their lovely wings. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 13 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Familiar Bluet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Familiar_Bluet_-_Enallagma_civile%252C_Mason_Neck%252C_Virginia_%2838047057952%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Familiar_Bluet_-_Enallagma_civile%252C_Mason_Neck%252C_Virginia_%2838047057952%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Familiar Bluet is a slender damselfly, vibrantly blue with distinct black markings on its abdomen. It has two small, bright blue spots behind its large eyes and clear wings that it holds together over its back when at rest, differentiating it from dragonflies. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Coenagrionidae - **Genus:** Enallagma ## Interesting facts - Baby bluets, called nymphs, live underwater for months before transforming. - Damselflies are ancient insects, flying since before the dinosaurs roamed! - Their delicate wings sparkle in the sun, made of tiny clear veins. - They mate in a unique 'wheel' formation, sometimes called a 'heart' shape! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Hunter:** Familiar Bluet larvae can breathe underwater using gills that helps them hunt other tiny aquatic creatures. - **Acrobatic Flyer:** Familiar Bluets can dart and hover quickly because of their two pairs of independently moving wings that helps them catch flying insects. - **Keen-eyed Predator:** Familiar Bluets have huge compound eyes that helps them spot tiny prey insects from far away. - **Color Coder:** Familiar Bluets appear vibrantly blue because of special pigments that helps them attract mates and define their territory. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 30-50 mm - **Size:** 25-40 mm - **Lifespan:** 15-30 days - **Flight Speed:** 5-10 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding This tiny hunter eats small flying insects and aquatic creatures. - **Age differences:** Larvae are aquatic predators, adults are aerial predators. - **Primary Foods:** mosquitoes, gnats, midges, small flies, aquatic insect larvae - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Common House Mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — Helps control populations of nuisance mosquitoes. - **Eaten by:** [Green Frog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/green-frog) (*Lithobates clamitans*) — A common amphibian predator of adult bluets. - **Eaten by:** Mosquitofish (*Gambusia affinis*) — Eats bluet larvae in aquatic environments. - **Eaten by:** [Eastern Kingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-kingbird) (*Tyrannus tyrannus*) — Insect-eating bird that catches adult damselflies. - **Shelter:** White Water Lily (*Nymphaea odorata*) — Rests on and lays eggs near aquatic plants. ## 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 Dragonflies are harmless but always watch them from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Familiar 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 Familiar Bluet's wingspan? 30-50 mm ### How big is Familiar Bluet? 25-40 mm ### How long does Familiar Bluet live? 15-30 days ### How fast can Familiar Bluet fly? 5-10 km/h ### What does Familiar Bluet eat? This tiny hunter eats small flying insects and aquatic creatures. ### Where is Familiar Bluet usually found? Wetlands ### How does Familiar Bluet hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Botanical Research Institute of Texas](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/botanical-research-institute-of-texas) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden - [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 - [Verona Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/verona-park) — New Jersey, US · Park - [Fort Lancaster](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-lancaster) — Texas, US · Historic Site - [Lake Ridge Island Mounds](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-ridge-island-mounds) — Ohio, US · Historic District [View all places to see Familiar Bluet](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/familiar-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: [Familiar Bluet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/familiar-bluet)