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Familiar Bluet - Enallagma civile
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
The Familiar Bluet damselfly is currently listed as an "S2S4" species of potential concern in Montana because they are potentially at risk because of limited and/or declining numbers, range and/or habitat, even though it may be abundant in some areas. This rank is based on limited collections, but is probably more widespread that the rank implies.
General Description
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Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
Once believed to be relatively uncommon in the state, recent collections have turned up a significant number of occurrence records; has not been found west of the Continental Divide (Miller and Gustafson 1996).
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 82
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
The Familiar Bluet is common in a wide variety of habitats including vegetated lakes and ponds, marshes, slow sluggish streams and even river margins where emergent vegetation is present. Familiar Bluets are quite tolerant of different environemental conditions. They can be found in saline habitats and are also known to quickly colonize newly created wetlands (Westfall and May 1996, Nikula et al. 2002, Paulson 2009).
National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Wetland and Riparian
Alkaline - Saline Wetlands
Peatland
Riparian and Wetland Forest
Riparian Shrubland
Wet Meadow and Marsh
Food Habits
Larvae feed on a wide variety of aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp.
Adult- This damselfly will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect including mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites.
Reproductive Characteristics
Male Familiar Bluets make lengthy patrols over open water. Females are not common at breeding sites until they are ready to mate. Copulation and oviposition site selection is quite lengthy with much flying and exploration of potential sites. The tandem pair oviposits on submerged vegetation with the male releasing female as she submerges below waterline. The male waits for the female to complete ovipositing and then reattaches with her; the female often attempts to reject this second tandem (Nikula et al. 2002, Paulson 2009).
Stewardship Responsibility
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication
Miller, K.B. and D.L. Gustafson. 1996. Distribution records of the Odonata of Montana. Bulletin of American Odonatology 3(4):75-88.- Nikula, B., J. Sones, D.W. Stokes, and L.Q. Stokes. 2002. Stokes beginner's guide to dragonflies and damselflies. Boston: Little, Brown. 159 pp.
- Westfall, M.J., Jr. and M.L. May. 1996. Damselflies of North America. Scientific Publishers, Gainesville, Florida. 649 pp.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Acorn, J. 2004. Damselflies of Alberta: flying neon toothpicks in grass. Edmonton, Alberta: University of Alberta Press. 156 pp.
- Dunkle, S.W. 2000. Dragonflies through binoculars: A field guide to dragonflies of North America. New York, NY. Oxford University Press. 266 pp.
- Hendricks, P., S. Lenard, D.M. Stagliano, and B.A. Maxell. 2013. Baseline nongame wildlife surveys on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Report to the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 83 p.
- Paulson, D.R. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 535 pp.
- Web Search Engines for Articles on "Familiar Bluet"
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