Montana Field Guide

The northern bluet is perhaps our most widespread and abundant damselfly seemingly found in all aquatic habitats, except acidic or saline water conditions. Northern Bluet habitat consists of well-vegetated marshes, bog ponds, vernal pools, ponds, lakes, and sometimes slow-flowing streams, especially in the prairies. It is very similar in appearence to the boreal bluet and may even co-occur, one must use the male claspers (genetalia) to seperate the 2 species. Boreal bluets are more alkaline tolerant and will replace the northern bluets in alkali lakes or Great Plains Saline Depression Wetlands.

Northern Bluet habitat consists of well-vegetated marshes, bog ponds, vernal pools, ponds, lakes, and sometimes slow-flowing streams. This species tends to avoid acid or saline waters (Westfall and May 1996, Nikula et al. 2002, Acorn 2004, Paulson 2009).

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.

Male Northern Bluets are found in large numbers near water perched often at edge of vegetation rather than deep in vegetation or flying over water. Copulation takes place away from breeding sites and can be lengthy. Tandem pairs will then fly to water and oviposition is usually begun on floating vascular plant material. Female will eventually submerge and complete oviposition below waterline (Nikula et al. 2002, Paulson 2009). The male will guard the female during this time and interestingly, he will often "rescue" the female from the water after oviposition is completed. He will grasp the female behind the head with his claspers and tow her out of the water (Acorn 2004).