Pond Damselflies
Family Coenagrionidae
Genus Enallagma
Rainbow Bluet (Enallagma antennatum)



Flight season: early June to early August.

Population: common, genarally prefers smaller rivers with a slow current. Usually encountered along slower stretches of the Moira River and at the peak flight season (mid to late June) hundreds can be seen along the Clare River. Often found flying with Stream Bluets (Enallagma exsulans) and Dancers (Argia spp).

Length: about 30 mm. Unmistakeable – both sexes have orange pterostigmata, no other local damselfy resembles the aptly named males, and the narrow blue spot on the center of the female's S9 is unique.


Tweed, Ontario, the Moira River, near the walking bridge and dam: rock-bottomed river with fast flowing water, rapids and emergent rocks, but also quiet pools and backwaters. The shoreline vegetation is mostly trees with a few small clearings supporting tall grasses and wildflowers.
Male Rainbow Bluet (Enallagma antennatum)
June 14, 2010


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A female Rainbow Bluet (Enallagma antennatum) and a closeup of this species' distinctive orange pterostigmata (June 13, 2010).


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A female Rainbow Bluet (Enallagma antennatum) – note the narrow central blue spot on S9 (June 14, 2010).


Tweed, Ontario, the Moira River, east of town near Collin's Point: rock-bottomed river with fast flowing water, rapids and emergent rocks, the shoreline vegetation consists of wooded areas and clearings supporting tall grasses and wildflowers.
Male Rainbow Bluet (Enallagma antennatum)
June 20, 2010

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Female Rainbow Bluet (Enallagma antennatum)
June 19, 2014


Moira River at the Frink Center: relatively slow-flowing water, the river shoreline here is more typical of a marsh with emergent vegetation, grading to shrubs and coniferous trees.
Rainbow Bluet (Enallagma antennatum), wheel
June 26, 2011


East of Tweed, Allore Road, the bridge across the Clare River near the intersection of Allore Road and Otter Creek Road: much like a small version of the Moira River – rock-bottomed, relatively shallow with a fast current in some areas, with other parts of the shoreline being heavily vegetated with still backwater pools. Bordered by trees and dense shoreline vegetation consisting of tall grasses and wildflowers.
Rainbow Bluet (Enallagma antennatum), tandem – over two hundred of these damselflies were estimated to be present in a small stretch of the shoreline. It was difficult to acquire images because the males were constantly competing for territory and females, and wouldn't (or couldn't, because of constant challenges from other males) remain perching for more than a few seconds (June 22, 2014).