This damselfly is approximately 1 1/2 inches in length. The male has bright orange eyes, thorax and legs. The thorax has a black shoulder stripe. The abdomen is long, slender and black with segments 9 and 10 orange. The female is a yellow- green color on the thorax and sides of the abdomen. The top of the abdomen is black with segments 9 and 10 being a pale yellow-green. The eyes and legs are a light tan color. Juveniles of both sexes are marked with pale blue. Female Eastern Forktails are similar looking to the male Orange Bluet, but they are much smaller than the male Bluets and are a deeper shade of orange.
This damselfly is common around the area of the blind at the Great Marsh in Fontenelle Forest from early July until as late as mid-September.
Although the Orange Bluet can be seen during the day, they become active around the water about 4 p.m. As many as 40 individuals have been seen sitting lotus leaves in front of the blind between 7 and 8 o’clock in the evening. The pairs are mated while the female oviposits into floating vegetation. The pair is supported by the male’s abdomen, as the female descends down a stem underwater for 10 – 20 minutes at a time laying eggs.
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