United States and Canada
This is a small brown southwestern species. Its body is olivaceous or brownish, but quickly becomes dark blue or black in older males. The top of the head changes to metallic blue or black in these individuals. The thorax is largely unmarked, but darker brown in front and more olivaceous on the sides before the pruinescence sets in. The legs are brown with black externally in females and completely black in males. The wings are clear or have at most a dark amber spot, basally on the front portion of the hindwing, that extends no further than the first antenodal crossvein. The abdo men is stout with swollen basal segments. The middle segments are flattened dorsoventrally. The abdomen is brown in females and tenerals and bluish-black in older males. The cerci are black.
Size: Total length: 26-30 mm; abdomen: 18-24 mm; hindwing: 21-26 mm.
Similar Species (south-central US): Little Blue Dragonlet (E. miniscula) has a smaller basal hindwing spot that may be lacking and white cerci in the males. Older Red-faced Dragonlets (E. fusca) have a red face and a brown thorax. Similar pondhawks (Erythemis) are larger, paler blue and have a green face. Band-winged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum semicinctum) has black lateral thoracic markings.
Habitat: Marshy creeks, streams and ponds.
Natural History: This species was known as E. connata until Needham et al. (2000 ) recognized it as a different species which was later discussed by Paulson (2003 ) who diagnosed it. Males of this dragonfly vigorously defend their relatively small territories, chasing away even slightly larger dragonflies. They perch low on vegetation surrounding ponds or low on stems overhanging the water. They often perch in a similar fashion to setwings with both wings moderately depressed. Pairs may mate on the wing or perched and males generally guard females as they lay eggs.
Distribution: Southwestern U.S. from Texas to Arizona south through Mexico to Argentina and Chile.
Source: Abbott, J.C. 2006-2010. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at OdonataCentral.
Edited by Drew Weber (9/24/2015).
