# Slender Bluet (*Enallagma traviatum*) The Slender Bluet is a small, beautiful dragonfly with bright blue colors. They love to flutter around ponds and streams, making them fun to watch as they zoom by! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Slender Bluet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Slender_bluet_14592482_jul_21_2018.jpg&width=800) Photo: Reuven Martin, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Slender_bluet_14592482_jul_21_2018.jpg) ## Appearance The Slender Bluet is a small damselfly with a very slender body. Males are strikingly bright blue with distinct black markings, including a black "wine-glass" or "keyhole" shape on the second abdominal segment. Females are typically duller, appearing greenish or brownish. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Coenagrionidae - **Genus:** Enallagma ## Interesting facts - Adult Slender Bluets often eat hundreds of mosquitoes and other small flying pests daily! - Most of a Slender Bluet's life is spent underwater as a fascinating aquatic nymph! - Their wings can move separately, allowing them to hover or make super-fast turns in the air! - You can tell male Slender Bluets apart by a unique black "wine glass" pattern on their abdomen! ## Special abilities - **Super Sight:** Slender Bluets have huge compound eyes that help them spot tiny prey and predators from almost every direction. - **Instant Flight:** The Slender Bluet can launch into flight instantly from a perch to chase after prey or quickly escape from danger. - **Sticky Perch:** Slender Bluets have tiny claws on their legs that help them cling tightly to plants, even upside down, near water. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 35-45 mm - **Size:** 28-35 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-50 days - **Flight Speed:** 15 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding They are tiny hunters, catching and eating small flying insects or aquatic larvae in the water. - **Age differences:** Nymphs eat aquatic insects; adults hunt flying insects. - **Primary Foods:** Mosquitoes, Gnats, Midges, Small flies, Aquatic insect larvae - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Common House Mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — Adults and nymphs prey on mosquitoes. - **Eaten by:** [Green Frog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/green-frog) (*Lithobates clamitans*) — Frogs prey on both adult and nymph damselflies. - **Hunts:** [Common Green Darner](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-green-darner) (*Anax junius*) — Larger dragonflies often hunt damselflies. - **Depends on:** Common Cattail (*Typha latifolia*) — Provides perching sites and habitat for nymphs. ## 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 and fun to watch, but don't try to catch them! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Slender 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 Slender Bluet's wingspan? 35-45 mm ### How big is Slender Bluet? 28-35 mm ### How long does Slender Bluet live? 30-50 days ### How fast can Slender Bluet fly? 15 km/h ### What does Slender Bluet eat? They are tiny hunters, catching and eating small flying insects or aquatic larvae in the water. ### Where is Slender Bluet usually found? Wetlands ### How does Slender Bluet hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Chadwick Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chadwick-arboretum) — Ohio, US · Botanical Garden - [Gloucester Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gloucester-downtown-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District ## 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: [Slender Bluet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/slender-bluet)