The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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North Carolina's 189 Odonate species
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Related Species in COENAGRIONIDAE: Number of records for 2023 = 20

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[View PDF]		Burgundy Bluet (Enallagma dubium) by Mark Shields
Compare with: Cherry 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 Burgundy Bluet
Flight Charts
Distribution Scattered over nearly all of the Coastal Plain, and sparingly into the extreme eastern Piedmont. Absent from the western half of the state, and possibly absent in northern coastal areas.
Abundance Generally uncommon to locally fairly common in the southern half of the Coastal Plain, and very rare and of spotty occurrence in the northern half. Rare in the narrow Piedmont portion of the range. Through 2016, the highest single-day count was only six individuals, but there have been several counts of double-digit individuals, including an excellent one-day tally of 50, in 2017.
Flight The Coastal Plain flight occurs from very late April or early May to very early October, whereas that in the adjacent Piedmont is from mid-May to late August.
Habitat Generally in highly vegetated ponds or small lakes, especially with floating vegetation such as lily pads. Can occur on very slow-moving creeks if there is some floating or emergent vegetation in full sun.

See also Habitat Account for Coastal Plain Herbaceous Ponds and Sloughs
Behavior Often perches on lilypads or on other exposed snags, well out from shore. Because of the dark colors on the thorax, an observer may need binoculars or a telephoto lens to clearly see the dark red/violet thorax stripes.
Comments The male has a deep red and black thorax, fairly similar to (but darker red than) that of the Cherry Bluet. Through 2016 we had very few recent records, but a stronger interest in studying odonates, especially damselflies, has taken place in at least the southern Coastal Plain starting in 2017. However, few people are searching for damselflies currently in the northern Coastal Plain, though it seems likely that the species has always been relatively rare in this part of the range.

Records have been greatly increasing in the last five years, though this might simply refer to more biologists visiting the Sandhills and other southern Coastal Plain areas with ponds. Usually where this species is present, many other damselflies can often be found, including the similar Cherry Bluet.
State Rank S4 [S3S4]
State Status
Global Rank G5
Federal Status
Synonym
Other Name
Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-18 13:25:27
Photo Gallery for Burgundy Bluet   14 photos are shown. Other NC Galleries:    Jeff Pippen    Will Cook    Ted Wilcox
Photo 1 by: Matt Spangler

Comment: Richmond; C, 2023-05-07, McKinney Lake State Fish Hatchery		Photo 2 by: Lori Arent, Harry LeGrand

Comment: Bladen, 2023-04-21, several locations in Bladen County - pair in copulation; Suggs Mill Pond; photo by Lori Arent
Photo 3 by: L. Arent

Comment: Wake, 2022-08-22, Umstead State Park - Males at small pond		Photo 4 by: Mike Turner

Comment: Hoke, 2022-06-19, Nicholson Creek Game Land - mostly ad.males
Photo 5 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent

Comment: Richmond; C, 2021-06-14, - Indian Camp Lake; Burgundy Bluet on left, Skimming Bluet on right.		Photo 6 by: Conrad Wernett

Comment: Lee, 2017-07-29 - Watson Lake, Broadway
Photo 7 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Bladen, 2017-05-26, Horseshoe Lake, Suggs Mill Pond Game Lands - many tandem/ovipositing pairs		Photo 8 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Pender, 2017-05-19, Shelter Creek, lower 2 km
Photo 9 by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-15, Scotland Lake and in-flowing creek, Sandhills Game Land		Photo 10 by: Kyle Kittelberger

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-08, Sandhill Game Land; Scotland Lake
Photo 11 by: Mike Turner, Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-07, Sandhill Game Land; creek at SR 1328 (Hoffman Rd)		Photo 12 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Pender, 2016-09-11, Holly Shelter Game Land, waterfowl impoundment
Photo 13 by: Mark Shields

Comment: Jones, 2016-08-04, Brock Mill Pond, Trenton		Photo 14 by: E. Corey and K. Bischof

Comment: Onslow, 2007-08-11