# Tule Bluet (*Enallagma carunculatum*) The Tule Bluet is a small, beautiful dragonfly with bright blue colors. They love to flutter around wetlands and ponds, making them fun to watch as they zip through the air. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Tule Bluet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Enallagma_carunculatum-Male-1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Eugene Zelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Enallagma_carunculatum-Male-1.jpg) ## Appearance The Tule Bluet is a small, slender damselfly typically deep blue and black. Males have striking blue markings on their thorax and abdomen, often with a distinct "teardrop" shaped spot on the side of the second abdominal segment. Their large, widely spaced eyes are also blue. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Odonata - **Family:** Coenagrionidae - **Genus:** Enallagma ## Interesting facts - Adult Tule Bluets only live for a few weeks, making every sunny day an adventure! - After hatching, a Tule Bluet naiad sheds its skin many times as it gets bigger. - Males have a special blue spot on their belly that helps females recognize them for mating. - Their babies live underwater for months, growing and hunting before they can fly! ## Special abilities - **Swift Snatcher:** Tule Bluet can swiftly catch tiny flying insects with its spiky legs that act like a basket. - **Underwater Breath:** Its young (naiads) can breathe underwater using feathery gills at the end of their abdomen. - **Acrobat Flier:** Tule Bluets can fly forward, backward, and hover silently to ambush unsuspecting prey. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 30-40 mm - **Size:** 25-33 mm - **Lifespan:** 14-28 days - **Flight Speed:** 7 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Tiny predators, Tule Bluets feast on smaller insects found near water. - **Age differences:** Young Tule Bluets (naiads) hunt aquatic insect larvae and small crustaceans underwater. - **Primary Foods:** mosquitoes, gnats, small flies, aphids, mayflies - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — Tule Bluets prey on flying mosquitoes. - **Eaten by:** [American Bullfrog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-bullfrog) (*Lithobates catesbeianus*) — Adult Tule Bluets can be a meal for hungry frogs. - **Eaten by:** Mosquitofish (*Gambusia affinis*) — Fish often eat Tule Bluet naiads underwater. - **Eaten by:** [Eastern Kingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-kingbird) (*Tyrannus tyrannus*) — Birds snatch flying adult damselflies. ## 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 Always watch dragonflies from a distance so you don't scare them away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Tule 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 Tule Bluet's wingspan? 30-40 mm ### How big is Tule Bluet? 25-33 mm ### How long does Tule Bluet live? 14-28 days ### How fast can Tule Bluet fly? 7 km/h ### What does Tule Bluet eat? Tiny predators, Tule Bluets feast on smaller insects found near water. ### Where is Tule Bluet usually found? Wetlands ### How does Tule Bluet hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Olbrich Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/olbrich-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Pueblo Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pueblo-zoo) — Colorado, US · Zoo - [Cheesman Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cheesman-park) — Colorado, US · Park - [Cherry County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cherry-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site - [Blue Lake Regional Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blue-lake-regional-park) — Oregon, US · Park [View all places to see Tule Bluet](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tule-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: [Tule Bluet: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tule-bluet)