Vivid Dancer Damselfly

Vivid Dancer Damselfly

California Range Map	Photo

Adult Male

Adult Female

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom:	Animalia -- animal
Phylum:	Arthropoda -- arthropods
Class:	hexapoda -- insects
Subclass:	Pterygota -- iwinged insects
Infraclass:	Palaeoptera-- wing insects
Superorder:	Odonatoptera -- ancient winged insects
Order:	Odonata -- Dragonflies and Damselflies
Suborder:	Zygoptera -- Damselflies
Family:	Coenagrionidae -- Narrow-winged Damselflies
Genus:	Argia
Species:	Argia vivida

Description:

Diet:

Naiad-This is a small, but stocky naiad about ¾ inch (17 mm) long. The coloration is mottled dark brown.

Naiad-Naiads eat a wide variety of aquatic insects, including mosquito larvae, mayfly larvae, and other aquatic fly larvae.

Adult-Male: vivid blue & black markings; thorax top stripe has wide urn shape; side thoracic stripe pinched at mid-length; middle abdomen segment sides have small backwards pointing arrow-shaped/triangular black streaks; blue tip surrounds segments 8-10; when cool coloring becomes more purple; immatures - milky gray

Adult-Female: tan/gray & black or male-like

Adult-Adults eat a wide variety of small soft-bodied flying insects, such as mosquitoes, mayflies, flies and small moths. They will also pick small insects such as aphids from plants.

Size:

small/medium, length 30 - 40 mm

Range Information:

Habitat:

This species is found in eastern British Columbia and Alberta south to Texas, New Mexico, and Baja California.

This damselfly is found at spring-fed streams, usually in arid or semi-arid areas.

U. S. Flight Season:

California Flight Period:

April 15 to October 25

capable of flight whenever there is a prolonged warm spell

Ecology:

Reproduction:

This species is very closely associated with spring-fed streams, and generally remains close to where it emerged. It probably has the longest flight season of any dragonfly or damselfly in our area.

The males set up territories at choice breeding sites. After males and females mate, the male remains attached to the female (called "in tandem") as she oviposits in vegetation at spring-fed streams.

Conservation:

Sources :

G1 G2 G3 G4 G5

G5 - Populations are widespread, abundant, and secure.

Global ranks indicate the rarity of a species at a global scale. Species may be fairly common globally but imperiled locally. Global ranks have the following meaning:

G1 - Critically Imperiled - At very high risk of extinction due to extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer populations), very steep declines, or other factors.
G2 - Imperiled - At high risk of extinction due to very restricted range, very few populations (often 20 or fewer), steep declines, or other factors.
G3 - Vulnerable - At moderate risk of extinction due to a restricted range, relatively few populations (often 80 or fewer), recent and widespread declines, or other factors.
G4 - Apparently Secure - Uncommon but not rare; some cause for long-term concern due to declines or other factors.
G5 - Secure - Common; widespread and abundant.
* ? or Q = status unknown or uncertain