— Incoming fast! That was my first impression when I caught this Familiar Bluet (also known as Civil Bluet) damselfly approaching a reed in a small puddle on top of the dome at Enchanted Rock SNA a week ago. I had not climbed to the top of that huge granite dome in search of damselflies. However, there I was. After one’s eyes get used to the small world around and one has attended workshops about catching these fast insects in flight, it is inevitable to see damselflies nearly everywhere one goes.
When we made it to the top of the dome, there were some puddles in several areas. Besides damselflies, we also saw several small fish in these tiny puddles. It made me wonder how long they live and what happens when there are strong rains washing down everything on top of the dome. Anyway, for this damselfly, I sat down on the edge of the puddle and waited a few minutes. Once I had noticed this particular reed sticking up, I knew it wouldn’t be a short time before a damselfly would come to it.
The Familiar Bluet is native to the USA and southern Canada. According to the Insect Identification website, this damselfly is not very picky where it goes. If there is water, it can be found there. I have seen other blue damselflies around Austin, Texas, but the Familiar Bluet stands out with its bright blue colors. What you see in these photos is a typical male: blue eyes and a thick black line in the middle of its thorax. An adult Familiar Bluet will measure 1.33″ to 1.73 inches or 34 mm to 44 mm. In the next couple of photos, you can see the effect of some wind gusts on this Familiar Bluet. Honestly, I do not know how they can hold on tight to the reed with those tiny legs. They must have a lot of strength. Just click on the small images to see them in full size.
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