# Stream Bluet (*Enallagma exsulans*) The Stream Bluet is a small, colorful dragonfly that loves to flutter around streams and ponds. With its bright blue body, it looks like a tiny jewel dancing in the air! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Stream Bluet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Stream_Bluet_Enallagma_exulsans_2009-05-02.jpg&width=800) Photo: Gaberlunzi (Richard Murphy), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stream_Bluet_Enallagma_exulsans_2009-05-02.jpg) ## Appearance The Stream Bluet has a slender body, often bright blue in males with distinct black markings on its abdomen. Females are typically duller, ranging from brownish to greenish-tan, making them blend in more with vegetation. Its delicate appearance distinguishes it from stouter dragonflies. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Coenagrionidae - **Genus:** Enallagma ## Interesting facts - A Stream Bluet spends most of its life underwater as a nymph, breathing through gills in its tail! - Damselflies like the Bluet can fly backwards, which helps them maneuver expertly through tight spaces! - Males 'guard' females while they lay eggs, ensuring no other males try to mate with them. - Unlike dragonflies, Stream Bluets hold their wings neatly folded together over their backs when resting. ## Special abilities - **Underwater Hunter:** Stream Bluet nymphs can ambush prey underwater because of their powerful extendable lower lip that helps them snatch small aquatic creatures. - **Agile Flight:** Stream Bluet adults can dart and hover in the air because of their two pairs of independently moving wings, helping them catch flying insects. - **Keen Eyesight:** Stream Bluets have large compound eyes that help them spot tiny prey and predators from many angles at once. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 40-50 mm - **Size:** 26-32 mm - **Lifespan:** 365-730 days - **Flight Speed:** 7 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding They are tiny hunters, catching and eating small insects both underwater as nymphs and in the air as adults! - **Age differences:** Nymphs hunt aquatic insects underwater, while adults catch flying insects in the air. - **Primary Foods:** mosquito larvae, small aquatic insects, mosquitoes, gnats, flies, midges - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Common House Mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — Adults prey on this common flying insect. - **Eaten by:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — Nymphs are a food source for this freshwater fish. - **Eaten by:** [Tree Swallow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-swallow) (*Tachycineta bicolor*) — Adults are preyed upon by these aerial insectivores. - **Eaten by:** [American Bullfrog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bullfrog) (*Lithobates catesbeianus*) — Both nymphs and adults can be eaten by this amphibian. ## 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. - [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. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. - [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 Watch dragonflies from a distance; they are friendly but like their space. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Stream 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 Stream Bluet's wingspan? 40-50 mm ### How big is Stream Bluet? 26-32 mm ### How long does Stream Bluet live? 365-730 days ### How fast can Stream Bluet fly? 7 km/h ### What does Stream Bluet eat? They are tiny hunters, catching and eating small insects both underwater as nymphs and in the air as adults! ### Where is Stream Bluet usually found? Wetlands ### How does Stream Bluet hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Anderson Japanese Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-japanese-gardens) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Brookside Reservation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brookside-reservation) — Ohio, US · Park - [Tom S. Cooperrider-Kent Bog State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tom-s-cooperrider-kent-bog-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Hocking Valley Scenic Railway Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hocking-valley-scenic-railway-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Main Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/main-street-historic-district) — Illinois, US · Historic District - [Mariemont Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mariemont-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District [View all places to see Stream Bluet](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/stream-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: [Stream Bluet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stream-bluet)