Slender bluet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Slender Bluet
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Zygoptera
Family:	Coenagrionidae
Genus:	Enallagma
Species:	E. traviatum
Binomial name
Enallagma traviatum (Selys, 1876)

The Enallagma traviatum, also known as the slender bluet, is a small and graceful damselfly. It belongs to the family called Coenagrionidae. These tiny insects are usually about 29 to 32 millimeters long, which is roughly the length of a paperclip!

What Does a Slender Bluet Look Like?

As its name suggests, the slender bluet is a blue damselfly with a very thin body, called an abdomen. Both male and female slender bluets have large "eyespots" on their heads. A thin blue line connects these eyespots. They also have thin black stripes on their shoulders.

How to Tell Males and Females Apart

It's fun to spot the differences between male and female slender bluets!

• Male Slender Bluets: The male's abdomen is mostly blue on segments 8 and 9. Segment 10, which is the very end of its body, is black. The male also has special parts at the end of its body, called terminal appendages, which are longer than those of similar damselflies.
• Female Slender Bluets: Female slender bluets have blue on segments 8, 9, and 10 of their abdomen. However, the top of segment 8 usually has a black bar or a T-shaped mark.

Where Do Slender Bluets Live?

Slender bluets love to hang out near large ponds and lakes. They especially like places where the edge of a forest is close by. This gives them good places to rest and hunt for food.

Where Can You Find Slender Bluets?

You can find slender bluets in many parts of North America. They live in both the United States and Canada.

United States Distribution

In the United States, they are found in many states, including:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• District Of Columbia
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Iowa
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Vermont
• Wisconsin
• West Virginia

Canadian Distribution

In Canada, you can find them in the province of:

• Ontario

Similar Damselfly Species

The slender bluet looks a lot like other damselfly species. Sometimes it can be tricky to tell them apart!

• Skimming Bluet: The skimming bluet is often found in the same watery places as the slender bluet.
• Stream Bluet and Turquoise Bluet: The stream bluet and turquoise bluet usually prefer to live along streams instead of lakes.
• Attenuated Bluet: The attenuated bluet is a similar species found in a specific area called the Pine Barrens.

When Do Slender Bluets Fly?

Slender bluets typically fly during the warmer months. You can usually see them from late May until early September. The exact time they fly depends on how warm it is where they live.

Slender Bluet Subspecies

Did you know that the slender bluet has two different types, called subspecies? They are:

• Enallagma traviatum traviatum
• Enallagma traviatum westfalli