Nebraska Dragonflies and Damselflies

Boreal Bluet

Enallagma boreale

Selys, 1875

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The Boreal Bluet male is more blue than black and looks very much like the Northern Bluet. The abdominal appendages are distinctive, the top ones being shorter than the lower ones. The females are tan, greenish or pale blue.

This is a transcontinental species which is rare in Nebraska. All Nebraska records are from Panhandle counties. It is usually found in vegetation at the edge or just back from the edge of a lake or pond.

Boreal Bluet
Boreal Bluet male

Size: 28-36 mm (1.1-1.4 in)

Habitat: marshy ponds and lakes

Great Plains Range: NE, SD, ND, NM, CO, WY, MT, IA, MN

Flight season: mid June to early September

Boreal Bluet map

Green indicates accepted county record (specimen or photograph).
Yellow indicates sight record only.


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