NC Odonate Website

Related Species in COENAGRIONIDAE:

Number of records for 2024 = 2

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Pale Bluet (Enallagma pallidum) by John Petranka

Compare with: Attenuated Bluet Turquoise Bluet Stream Bluet Slender 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 Pale Bluet

Flight Charts

Distribution

Essentially limited to the Coastal Plain, where it likely occurs in all counties (though there are records for only 60% of them). Also occurs sparingly in the extreme southeastern Piedmont, near the Sandhills region (a collection from Anson County). A sight report for Rutherford County, in the far-western Piedmont, is open to question; there are no known Piedmont, much less upper Piedmont, records for SC or GA (on the OdonataCentral map); and recent reports, including photos, from Orange County have been removed from the map and database, owing to likely misidentified Slender Bluets.

Abundance

Uncommon to locally fairly common in the southern Coastal Plain -- Sandhills area east to Craven and Onslow counties, but generally rare elsewhere in the Coastal Plain. Very rare in the narrow portion of the range in the southeastern Piedmont.

Flight

The flight occurs between early May and early August, with a collection record from late September being quite late. Essentially a late spring and early summer flying damselfly.

Habitat

Most often at lakes and ponds, especially where there are shrubby or swampy areas around the waters. Also at swampy edges of blackwater creeks and rivers. Thus, even though males may perch on snags out in a pond, lake, or creek, these sites tend to be closer to shrubby margins than along or near grasses or sedges along a shoreline.

Behavior

Behavior of males is somewhat similar to that of some other bluets, such as Orange and Burgundy -- perching very close to the water on snags or other vegetation. These all perch horizontally, ready to fly out low over a lake, pond, or slow-moving creek. However, this species tends to stay closer to shade and shrubby margins when at rest than those other species.

Comments

In the past several years, there have been quite a few photographs to document the species, especially in the southern Coastal Plain. However, recent observations/photos from the northern two-thirds of this province have been lacking, due perhaps mainly to poor surveys of damselflies in this part of the state. A photograph in 2022 from Dare County finally was a first for that large coastal county. Note that separation of this species from Slender Bluet is very tricky, though that species does not range into the eastern Coastal Plain; however, both occur in the upper Coastal Plain (including the Sandhills). Both perch low over open water and behave in similar manners.

State Rank

State Status

Global Rank

Federal Status

Synonym

Other Name

Species account update: LeGrand on 2024-01-03 13:09:56

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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Photo Gallery for Pale Bluet 17 photos are shown.		Other NC Galleries: Jeff Pippen Will Cook Ted Wilcox
	Photo 1 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Hoke, 2022-06-26, Nicholson Creek game lands, lake near boat landing.		Photo 2 by: Kevin Metcalf Comment: Hoke, 2022-06-26, Nicholson Creek game lands, lake near boat landing.
	Photo 3 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent Comment: Hoke, 2022-06-26, Nicholson Creek Game Land - 1-2 pairs in copulation wheels; photo by Lori Arent		Photo 4 by: Harry LeGrand, Lori Arent Comment: Hoke, 2022-06-26, Nicholson Creek Game Land - 1-2 pairs in copulation wheels; photo by Lori Arent. Burgundy Bluet also in photo.
	Photo 5 by: Mark Shields Comment: Robeson, 2022-06-24, Lumber River, from LURI-Princess Ann Access to Lumber River Campground and back, by kayak		Photo 6 by: Mike Turner Comment: Hoke, 2022-06-19, Nicholson Creek Game Land - many pairs in tandem; another five or so were either Slender Bluets or Pale Bluets
	Photo 7 by: Jessica Lowery Comment: Dare; OBU, 2022-06-08, Kitty Hawk, Sandy Run Park, iNaturalist Record #120896964 - Pair in tandem		Photo 8 by: R. Emmitt Comment: Scotland, 2019-06-15, Cameron Lake and creek nearby
	Photo 9 by: Mark Shields Comment: Craven, 2018-06-16, Swift Creek; 7 km section between Cool Springs Boating Access Area and NC 43 bridge, by kayak. First record for county.		Photo 10 by: Mark Shields Comment: New Hanover, 2018-06-08, Greenfield Lake, Wilmington, by kayak - tandem pair
	Photo 11 by: Kyle Kittelberger Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-08, Sandhill Game Land; Scotland Lake - first record in county in almost 30 years		Photo 12 by: Mark Shields Comment: Brunswick, 2017-05-02, North Lake and Spring Lake parks, Boiling Spring Lakes - mostly tandem pairs
	Photo 13 by: Mark Shields Comment: Columbus, 2016-06-20, Waccamaw River from Pireway Boating Access to 6 km upstream		Photo 14 by: Mark Shields Comment: Onslow, 2016-06-04, White Oak River between Quarry lakes and Dixon Field Landing
	Photo 15 by: Mark Shields Comment: Pender, 2015-07-11, Shelter Creek, from confluence with NE Cape Fear River to about 2 km upstream - in patches of Spatterdock		Photo 16 by: John Petranka Comment: Bladen, 2014-06-02 Male, Singletary Lake. Found perched on vegetation along pier and by bridge at lake drain.
	Photo 17 by: John Petranka Comment: Bladen, 2014-06-02 Female, Singletary Lake. Found perched on vegetation along pier and by bridge at lake drain.