Blue-fronted Dancer damselfly

A Blue-fronted Dancer damselfly (Argia apicalis) was spotted during a photowalk with Michael Powell near Mulligan Pond at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge (JMAWR), Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

18 AUG 2020 | JMAWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis)

A. apicalis has “a blue form female and a brown form female.” Since neither the hamules nor terminal appendages can be seen clearly in the preceding photo, I’m unsure whether this individual is male or female.

Post Update

Michael Ready, good friend and fellow member of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas, shared the following comment via e-mail.

That’s an outstanding picture of a Blue-fronted Dancer. You state you are unsure of the individual’s gender. I am confident that it is a male. According to my field guides (Lam and Paulson), the blue-form female lacks the blue eyes and blue S8-10 that are apparent in your picture. Source Credit: Michael Ready.

Thanks for the kind words and helpful information, Michael! As it turns out, the field marks that you described are shown clearly in one of my blog posts: Blue-fronted Dancers (male, female), especially this photo.

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Blue-fronted Dancers (male, female)

Male

A Blue-fronted Dancer damselfly (Argia apicalis) was spotted near Mulligan Pond at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

This individual is a male, as indicated by the pattern of blue coloration on his thorax and abdomen, plus the blue coloration on abdominal segments eight through 10 (S8-10).

25 SEP 2016 | Jackson Miles Abbott WR | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

Female

Several Blue-fronted Dancers were spotted during a photowalk along Accotink Creek/Great Blue Heron Trail at Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge (ABWR), Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

The first individual is a female, as indicated by two field marks.

Eyes brown, darker above; lack of blue in eyes in andromorph good distinction from male. Source Credit: Paulson, Dennis (2011-12-19). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East (Princeton Field Guides) (Kindle Locations 3451-3452). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.

Female Blue-fronted Dancers are polymorphic: andromorph females are blue like males; heteromorph females are brown-green. Andromorph females tend to be a lighter shade of blue than males of the same species.

This individual is a blue andromorph. Regardless of the color morph…

females never have blue on the last abdominal segments (S8-10). Source Credit: Michael Boatwright, founder and administrator of the Virginia Odonata Facebook group.

02 AUG 2016 | ABWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (female)

More males

Two male Blue-fronted Dancers were spotted at Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge.

02 AUG 2016 | ABWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

02 AUG 2016 | ABWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

Copyright © 2019 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Blue-fronted Dancer damselflies (male, females)

Several Blue-fronted Dancer damselflies (Argia apicalis) were photographed along an unnamed small creek in Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

Male

The first individual is a male, as indicated by the pattern of coloration on his thorax and abdomen.

06 AUG 2018 | Fairfax County, VA | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

Female

Female A. apicalis is polymorphic, including two morphs: tan; and blue.

06 AUG 2018 | Fairfax County, VA | Blue-fronted Dancer (female, tan)

Blue females can be differentiated from blue males by looking for the reproductive anatomy located on the underside of the posterior end of their abdomen.

06 AUG 2018 | Fairfax County, VA | Blue-fronted Dancer (female, blue)

Copyright © 2018 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Damnselflies

Did you notice what I did there? It’s not that I don’t like damselflies. I do. They don’t like me. I’m comfortable identifying some members of two of the three families of damselflies that occur in the mid-Atlantic states (USA), including Family Calopterygidae (Broad-winged Damselflies) and Family Lestidae (Spreadwings). Most members of the Family Coenagrionidae (Narrow-winged Damselflies), not so much.

I remember clearly the time when I was learning to identify dragonflies. I was more than a little confused at first. With persistence, the puzzle pieces started to fall into place sooner than I expected. Same story when I started learning to identify odonate exuviae. Never happened with damselflies, for whatever reason.

For example, here’s a photograph of a damselfly that I photographed recently at an unnamed small creek in Fairfax County, Virginia USA. I made a tentative identification after I edited the photo — I misidentified both the species and gender as an immature male Powdered Dancer damselfly (Argia moesta).

19 JUL 2018 | Fairfax County, VA | Blue-fronted Dancer (female)

As it turns out, this individual is a female Blue-fronted Dancer damselfly (Argia apicalis). Sincere thanks to my good friend Mike Boatwright, administrator of the Virginia Odonata Facebook group, for correcting my misidentification!

Copyright © 2018 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

 

Blue-fronted Dancer (male, female)

Many Blue-fronted Dancer damselflies (Argia apicalis) were spotted along Bull Run, Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

Male

The first individual is a male, as indicated by his terminal appendages.

21 JUN 2017 | Fairfax County, VA | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

There is a blue morph female Blue-fronted Dancer, therefore the male’s blue coloration is insufficient to identify its gender.

21 JUN 2017 | Fairfax County, VA | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

Female

Female Blue-fronted Dancers are polymorphic, including a blue andromorph and a brown heteromorph, shown below. Thanks to Ken Larsen, member of the Virginia Odonata Facebook group, for help in identifying this individual.

21 JUN 2017 | Fairfax County, VA | Blue-fronted Dancer (heteromorph female)

Related Resources:

• Blue-fronted Dancer damselfly (female) – a blog post by Walter Sanford featuring a blue andromorph female.
• Damselfly Species Menu – Explore with Images, by Ken Larsen

Copyright © 2017 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Blue-fronted Dancer damselfly (female)

A Blue-fronted Dancer damselfly (Argia apicalis) was spotted during a photowalk along Accotink Creek Trail at Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge (ABWR), Fairfax County, Virginia USA. An old wooden boardwalk is located near the terminus of the trail.

07 AUG 2016 | ABWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (female andromorph)

This individual is a female andromorph, as indicated by her coloration and terminal appendages. Females have a noticeably thicker abdomen than males.

Female Blue-fronted Dancers are polymorphic: andromorph females are blue like males; heteromorph females are brown. Andromorph females tend to be a lighter shade of blue than males of the same species, and do not feature the same blue coloration as males on abdominal segments eight, nine, and 10 (S8-10).

07 AUG 2016 | ABWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (female andromorph)

The taxonomic classification of Blue-fronted Dancer is as follows: Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies); Suborder Zygoptera (Damselflies); Family Coenagrionidae (Narrow-winged Damselflies); Genus Argia (Dancers); Species apicalis.

Related Resources: Excellent digital scans created by Gayle and Jeanelle Strickland. Click on the button labeled “Download file” in order to view full-size version of the graphics.

• A. apicalis female #1 (Blue-fronted Dancer) | full-size JPG
• A. apicalis female #2 (Blue-fronted Dancer) | full-size JPG
• A. apicalis male #1 (Blue-fronted Dancer) | full-size JPG
• A. apicalis male #2 (Blue-fronted Dancer) | full-size JPG

Editor’s Note: This is the first female Blue-fronted Dancer that I’ve seen/photographed. Thanks to Michael Moore and Ed Lam, members of the Northeast Odonata Facebook group, for verifying my tentative identification. Dr. Michael Moore is an active contributor to the Dragonfly and Damselfly Field Guide and ID App; Ed Lam is author and illustrator of Damselflies of the Northeast.

Copyright © 2017 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Blue-fronted Dancer

14 JUN 2016 | JMAWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

These two photos show one of many Blue-fronted Dancer damselflies (Argia apicalis) spotted during a photowalk around Mulligan Pond, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge (JMAWR). This individual is a male, as indicated by his coloration and terminal appendages.

14 JUN 2016 | JMAWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

The taxonomic classification of Blue-fronted Dancer is as follows: Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies); Suborder Zygoptera (Damselflies); Family Coenagrionidae (Narrow-winged Damselflies); Genus Argia (Dancers); Species apicalis.

Related Resources: High-resolution digital scans created by Gayle and Jeanelle Strickland.

• A. apicalis male #1 (Blue-fronted Dancer) | full-size JPG
• A. apicalis male #2 (Blue-fronted Dancer) | full-size JPG
• A. apicalis female #1 (Blue-fronted Dancer) | full-size JPG
• A. apicalis female #2 (Blue-fronted Dancer) | full-size JPG

Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Blue-fronted Dancer damselflies (males)

Two Blue-fronted Dancer damselflies (Argia apicalis) were spotted during a photowalk around Mulligan Pond, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge (JMAWR). Both individuals are males.

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

This is the first time I have seen Blue-fronted Dancers in Virginia, although I have seen them in Maryland along the Little Patuxent River, Patuxent Research Refuge (North Tract).

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Blue-fronted Dancer (male)

Related Resources: Excellent digital scans created by Gayle and Jeanelle Strickland. Click on the button labeled “Download file” in order to view/save a full-size version of the graphics.

• A. apicalis male #1 (Blue-fronted Dancer)
• A. apicalis male #2 (Blue-fronted Dancer)
• A. apicalis female #1 (Blue-fronted Dancer)
• A. apicalis female #2 (Blue-fronted Dancer)

Sidebar: Scientific Classification of Damselflies

The following concise explanation of the scientific classification of damselflies is provided to help the reader understand where Blue-fronted Dancers fit into the bigger picture of the Order Odonata, Suborder Zygoptera (Damselflies).

There are four families of damselflies in the United States of America, although only three families occur in the mid-Atlantic USA: Broad-winged damselflies; Narrow-winged damselflies (a.k.a., Pond Damselflies); and Spreadwing damselflies.

1. Family Calopterygidae – Broad-winged Damselflies
2. Family Coenagrionidae – Narrow-winged Damselflies
3. Family Lestidae – Spreadwings

1. Family Calopterygidae is comprised of two genera.

• Calopteryx (e.g., Ebony Jewelwing)
• Hetaerina (e.g., American Rubyspot)

2. Family Coenagrionidae is comprised of 14 genera. Three genera are common in Northern Virginia: Argia (Dancers); Enallagma (American Bluets); and Ischnura (Forktails).

• Argia (e.g., Blue-fronted Dancer, Blue-tipped Dancer, Variable Dancer)
• Enallagma (e.g., Big Bluet, Familiar Bluet, Orange Bluet, Stream Bluet)
• Ischnura (e.g., Eastern Forktail, Fragile Forktail, Rambur’s Forktail)

3. Family Lestidae is comprised of two genera.

• Archilestes (e.g., Great Spreadwing)
• Lestes (e.g., Slender Spreadwing, Southern Spreadwing, Swamp Spreadwing)

There are relatively few genera of Broad-winged Damselflies and Spreadwing Damselflies. In contrast, there are many more genera and species of Narrow-winged Damselflies — more species, including many that look similar, makes this family the most challenging to learn!

Related Resource: “The Odonata of North America” is a complete list of both scientific names and common names for damselflies and dragonflies, maintained by the Dragonfly Society of the Americas.

Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.