VESPER BLUET
Enallagma vesperum
POND DAMSEL FAMILY (Coenagrionidae)
This is a medium-sized damsel about 1 1/2 inches in length. The male is mostly yellow on the eyes, face, thorax and legs. It has a mostly black abdomen with segment 9 all bright blue and segment 10 blue on the side and black on the top. The female is bluish-green on the thorax with a brownish shoulder stripe. Her eyes are a pale green and the legs are yellow. The abdomen is mostly black on the top with most of segment 9 being a light blue and segment 10 light blue. Immature males can be confused with immature male Orange Bluets, but immature Vesper Bluets have narrower, poorly defined shoulder stripes.
These uncommon damsels can be seen in June in the evening perching on lotus leaves in the Great Marsh in Fontenelle Forest. It is not unusual to see as many as 15 or 20 on the lotus leaves. Individuals have also been seen occasionally in August sitting on the Wetlands boardwalk.
These Bluets are unusual in that they become active in the evening unlike most damsels that are active at midday. They first appear at the water from about 6 -8 p.m. Pairs usually leave the water to mate. Afterwards they return to the water where females oviposit in stems just below the water surface or on the tops of lotus leaves.
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