Rainforest bluewing facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rainforest bluewing
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Infraorder:	Anisoptera
Family:	Libellulidae
Genus:	Zenithoptera
Species:	Z. fasciata
Binomial name
Zenithoptera fasciata (L.)
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The Zenithoptera fasciata, also known as the rainforest bluewing, is a beautiful type of dragonfly. These amazing insects live in many parts of northern South America and southern Central America. You might also hear them called by older names like Libellula fasciata or Libellula americana.

What is a Rainforest Bluewing?

Clearspot bluewing (Zenithoptera lanei)

Rainforest bluewing (Zenithoptera fasciata)

The closely related Z. lanei shares a similar range and appearance to Z. fasciata; Z. lanei can be distinguished however by its more iridescent wings, which are relatively unbroken by contrasting patterns.

The rainforest bluewing is one of four known types of dragonflies in the group called Zenithoptera. The other types are Zenithoptera anceps, Zenithoptera viola, and Zenithoptera lanei (which is called the "clearspot bluewing"). These different types often live in the same areas.

Z. fasciata and Z. lanei look quite similar because they both have blue wings. However, Z. lanei's wings are usually a lighter blue and have special dots near the tips. They also have more patterns on the sides of their wings than the Z. fasciata.

How Do They Look?

The rainforest bluewing is easy to spot because of its bright, shiny blue wings. These wings are mostly one solid color, but sometimes they have a lighter band near the tips. (This lighter band is much more common in the clearspot bluewing, Z. lanei).

The sides of the dragonfly's body, called the thorax, are dark brown with thin, yellowish stripes. Male dragonflies often have two large, light-colored marks on the underside of their thorax. Their abdomen, which is the long part of their body, is dark brown and also has thin yellow bands along the edges of its sections. Scientists have not yet described what the baby dragonflies (larvae) of this species look like.

Where Do They Live and What Do They Do?

Rainforest bluewings live in warm, wet places like tropical and subtropical forests and wetlands. Adult dragonflies spend most of their time high up in the forest canopy, which is the top layer of trees. They usually only come down to lower areas for short times, often in the middle of the day. This is usually when they quickly meet to breed.

When they are not in the canopy, you might find them resting near shallow pools of water. These pools are often covered with low grasses and plants. They also like to perch on high spots or on tall, thin twigs in less crowded parts of the forest. When a rainforest bluewing is resting, it usually holds its wings straight up above its body. Sometimes, it will quickly bring them down to a different position.

Where Can You Find Them?

The rainforest bluewing lives in a very large area, covering more than 1.6 million square kilometers! They have been seen from Costa Rica all the way south through Brazil and Peru. They live in a big part of the Amazonian Basin. Countries where the rainforest bluewing has been found include Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.