Description: Males: One of our two, red-eyed dancers. The main feature is the bright colored red eyes. The head is coppery red with circular blue eyespots. Thorax coppery-red vanishing to blue or violet. Abdomen violet or blue with black rings anteriorly on S3-6. S7 Black with pallid ring. S8-10 blue with black stripe.
Female's not as bright colors as the male, but with coppery reflections. Eyespots as in male. Thorax coppery-red middorsal stripe. Shoulder stripe coppery and forked. Sides of thorax pale. Abdomen with near continuous black lateral stripe and S8-9 with dark ventrolateral stripe.
Size: Total length: 33-39 mm; hindwing: 20-24 mm.
Similar Species: Male Coppery Dancer It is the only other species colorer red eyes and cooper thorax but abdomen is black with blue rings at anterior end of each segment. Fiery-eyed in having largely divided humeral stripe. Blue female distinguished by coppery yhorax and reddish eyes.
Habitat: Shallow rivers and rocky streams.
Natural History: It is a species that can be found in rocks or vegetation on the banks of rivers. Couples oviposit on herbaceous vegetation or on floating plant material.
Distribution: Arizona and Texas; Mexico to Colombia.
Source:
Abbott. J.C. 2011. Damselflies of Texas. A field guide. Texas Natural History Guides. 293 pp.
Paulson, D. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. 536 pp.
Edited by Juan Cruzado (11/29/2016)
