United States and Canada
Description:Small violet dancer with two colores abdomen tip.
Males: Head violet; eyes brow above violet below with large postocular spots. Thorax is violet with narrow median stripe and narrow humeral stripe with long fork. The abdomen is violet, S1 with a transverse spot, S2 has large dark lateral spot on each side, complete black rings on S3-6, S7 almost all black with posterior violet ring, S8 violet-blue, S9 blue and S10 blue tinged slightly with violet.
Females: Female in much duller in color. Eyes brown. Thoracic markings as male, but less extensive dark pigmentation. The abdomen, paler than in the male and violet or brown with dorsolateral black stripes continuous on all middle segments, extending back to S8 and faintly on S9, S8-10 are ligth brown.
Size: Total length: 29-34mm; abdomen: 23-28mm; hindwing: 18-23 mm.
Similar Species: Lavander Dancer has short and the black on its head and the middorsal stripe of the thorax are more extensive. Leonora´s Dancer is smaller, has arrow-shaped dark markings on the abdomen, and the forked humeral striped. Aztec Dancer lacks full-length black stripes laterally on S8-9, and ther are completly lacking an S10. Kiowa and Springwater no shows contrast between purple S8 and blue S9-10.
Habitat: Wide habitat choice with small shallow streams with much vegetation to exposed rocks and small lakes.
Natural History: Common over riffles and in vegetation along pools. Males rest on rocks, ground, or vegetation at water. Often slowly open and close wings. Pairs oviposit on live and dead plants stems.
Distribution: East of the Rocky Mountains throughout the eastern Inited States and southern Canada. México and Guatemala.
Source:
Abbott, J. C. 2005. Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States. Princeton University Press.344 pp.
Garrison, R. W. 1994. A synopsis of the genus Argia of the United States with keys and descriptions of new species, Argia sabino, A. leonorae, and A. pima (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 120(4): 287–368.
Paulson, D. R. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press.535 pp.
Edited by Juan Cruzado (12/31/2016)
