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Related Species in COENAGRIONIDAE:

Number of records for 2023 = 0

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Turquoise Bluet (Enallagma divagans) by Mark Shields

Compare with: Stream Bluet Slender Bluet Skimming Bluet
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Note: these identification tips apply specifically to mature males; features may differ in immature males and in females.

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Map

Click on county for list of all its records for Turquoise Bluet

Flight Charts

Distribution

Nearly statewide. Possibly absent in one to several counties along the Outer Banks. Nonetheless, the assumption should be made that it occurs in all counties, though possibly absent in one or two far eastern ones.

Abundance

Despite its very wide range in the state, as with the Double-striped Bluet it is generally just uncommon to locally fairly common across the state, though certainly rare in the extreme eastern counties and in the higher elevations. A one-day count of 120 was made in the eastern Piedmont in 2014, tripling the previous single one-day count of 40; a count of 150 was made in a southern coastal county in 2018. Thus, as with many other bluets, the species is quite local -- quite numerous at some montane ponds, a handful of Coastal Plain creeks, and at various sites (pond margins and creeks) in the Piedmont.

Flight

This is another bluet that ends its flight by mid-summer, as opposed to flying well into the fall season. In the Coastal Plain, it occurs from early April only to mid-July. The Piedmont flight is from late April to mid-July, and the mountain flight is slightly later -- early May to early August. Nonetheless, the flights are mostly over by mid-July across the state.

Habitat

Varied. More often at heavily shaded, slow-moving streams, but it also is found along shaded pond and lake margins. Interestingly, most montane records are from ponds, whereas farther eastward, there is a tendency to be a creekside species (at least in the Coastal Plain).

Behavior

This species is found more often in semi-shaded places with plenty of shrubs along the edge of a lake, pond, or slow-moving creek; it seldom can be found in full sun, and never out in the open at a lake or pond -- but tucked along shores.

Comments

This bluet has an odd array of habitats, much more so than nearly all others. Most other bluets occur around pond margins, often in sunny places, where males may perch on grass blades or twigs out into the water, or at least fly within the grasses and sedges along the shore. The Turquoise Bluet usually shuns full sun, and likes partial shade close to bushes along the water's edge, where they often perch; these sites can be along shaded rivers or creeks, or shaded ponds. Reports of the species seen well out from shore, at lakes and ponds, probably relate to the rather similar Slender Bluet (which favors sunnier places).

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

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Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-18 13:12:54

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Photo Gallery for Turquoise Bluet 27 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Chatham, 2022-06-17, Haw River--Bynum Dam		Photo 2 by: Harry LeGrand Comment: Alleghany, 2022-06-14, various sites in Alleghany County - Little Glade Millpond (Blue Ridge Parkway)
	Photo 3 by: Mike Turner Comment: Bladen, 2022-06-12, Turnbull Creek at SR 1331 (Braxton Edge Rd.)		Photo 4 by: P Dixon Comment: Madison, 2022-05-31, Davis Branch Pond, new county record
	Photo 5 by: Lori Arent Comment: Wake, 2022-05-23, Hare Snipe Creek, in Wooten Meadows Park		Photo 6 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Buncombe, 2021-07-17, Biltmore Forest/Brooklawn Park pond
	Photo 7 by: L. Arent Comment: Wilkes; M, 2021-06-03, Buck Mountain Pond near Maple Springs		Photo 8 by: Emily Chebul Comment: Camden, 2021-05-31, Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills; iNaturalist Record #81646267
	Photo 9 by: Matt Spangler Comment: Scotland, 2021-05-06, Sandhills GL--Scotland Lake		Photo 10 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Mecklenburg, 2021-04-30, Clarks Creek Nature Preserve, Hucks Rd., pond
	Photo 11 by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn Comment: Scotland, 2020-05-14, Lumber River State Park		Photo 12 by: Ken Kneidel Comment: Yancey, 2018-06-17 - vegetated area on edge of small pond
	Photo 13 by: Mark Shields Comment: Pender, 2018-05-18, Ashes Creek at Shaw Highway bridge		Photo 14 by: Mark Shields Comment: Onslow, 2018-05-18, Sandy Run Swamp at NC 50 bridge - abundant; many tandem and ovipositing pairs
	Photo 15 by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-15, Scotland Lake and in-flowing creek, Sandhills Game Land		Photo 16 by: Mike Turner, Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-07, Sandhill Game Land; Scotland Lake - 10 adult males
	Photo 17 by: Mark Shields Comment: Bladen, 2016-05-27, Black River		Photo 18 by: Curtis Smalling Comment: Macon, 2015-06-08, Highlands Biological Station - at pond edge
	Photo 19 by: Owen McConnell Comment: Graham, 2014-07-07, Bear Creek Junction ponds		Photo 20 by: Conrad Wernett Comment: Craven, 2014-05-04- All creeks within Croatan National Forest
	Photo 21 by: Vin Stanton, Virginia Senechal Comment: Henderson, 2013-06-20, Fletcher Park - Female		Photo 22 by: Vin Stanton Comment: Buncombe, 2011-06-01, at golf course pond near Beaver Lake, Asheville
	Photo 23 by: Ali Iyoob, Matt Daw, Dan Irizarry Comment: Richmond; C, 2011-05-05, McKinney Lake Fish Hatchery		Photo 24 by: Deb O'Neill Comment: Alleghany, 2010-06-22
	Photo 25 by: Beth Brinson Comment: Alleghany, 2008-06-07, Blue Ridge Parkway		Photo 26 by: Beth Brinson Comment: Haywood, 2007-06-05, Private pond, Male
	Photo 27 by: Ted Wilcox Comment: Ashe, 2006-07-13, mated pair