Nebraska Dragonflies and Damselflies

Paiute Dancer

Argia alberta

Kennedy, 1918

The Paiute Dancer male is overall blue to violet with black and grey markings. There is a wide black bar from one large eye through the ocelli (three small eyes) to the other large eye. The female is much browner than the male. Both have black shoulder stripes which are forked in their upper 1/3 to 1/2.

It is a fairly common western species with northwest Iowa representing the northeast edge of the range. It is most common in the western two-thirds of the state with scattered records in the eastern counties. It is found in a large variety of habitats: seeps, small, muddy or sandy streams, marshy areas and even in long grass hanging into streams and small rivers.

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