# Orange Bluet (*enallagma signatum*) The Orange Bluet is a colorful dragonfly that loves to flutter around ponds and streams. With its bright orange and blue colors, it's like a little flying gem in nature! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Near ponds, streams, and wetlands, often resting on plants. - **Also known as:** Blue Dragonfly, Little Bluet, Orange Dragonfly ![Orange Bluet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Enallagma_signatum.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mike Boone, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Enallagma_signatum.jpg) ## Appearance The Orange Bluet is a slender damselfly, with males sporting a striking bright orange or red base to their abdomen, contrasting with a blue-tipped end and black markings. Its thorax is black with green or yellow stripes. Females are typically duller, often yellowish-brown with similar black patterns. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Coenagrionidae - **Genus:** Enallagma ## Interesting facts - Male Orange Bluets use their bright colors to show off and attract a mate. - Their babies, called nymphs, live underwater for up to a year before transforming! - These tiny insects have six legs, but they're mostly used for perching, not walking far! - They often fly tandem in a 'heart shape' when mating, a truly unique sight! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Gills:** Orange Bluet larvae can breathe underwater using special gills that help them survive for months in ponds. - **Super Sight:** Orange Bluet has huge compound eyes that help them spot tiny flying insects from far away while hunting. - **Swift Navigator:** Orange Bluet can hover and dart quickly through the air, helping them catch prey and escape from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 35-45 mm - **Size:** 28-38 mm - **Lifespan:** 20-45 days - **Flight Speed:** 5-10 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Orange Bluets are tiny insect hunters, munching on small flying bugs. - **Age differences:** Larvae eat aquatic invertebrates; adults eat flying insects. - **Primary Foods:** mosquitoes, gnats, small flies, midges, aphids - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Common Malaria Mosquito (*Anopheles quadrimaculatus*) — as prey for adults - **Eaten by:** [American Bullfrog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bullfrog) (*Rana catesbeiana*) — as a food source - **Eaten by:** Mosquitofish (*Gambusia affinis*) — larval stage is prey - **Eaten by:** [Prothonotary Warbler](https://www.snappit.app/explore/prothonotary-warbler) (*Protonotaria citrea*) — provides food ## Traits - [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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [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:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Orange 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 Orange Bluet's wingspan? 35-45 mm ### How big is Orange Bluet? 28-38 mm ### How long does Orange Bluet live? 20-45 days ### How fast can Orange Bluet fly? 5-10 km/h ### What does Orange Bluet eat? Orange Bluets are tiny insect hunters, munching on small flying bugs. ### Where is Orange Bluet usually found? Near ponds, streams, and wetlands, often resting on plants. ### How does Orange Bluet hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Lake Ridge Island Mounds](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-ridge-island-mounds) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Marietta Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marietta-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Morristown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/morristown-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Spring Grove Cemetery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/spring-grove-cemetery) — Ohio, US · Botanical Garden - [Lake Ahquabi State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-ahquabi-state-park) — Iowa, US · State Park [View all places to see Orange Bluet](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/orange-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: [Orange Bluet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orange-bluet)