I really do not expect to find any damselflies this late in the season, so I was both surprised and delighted to spot several Familiar Bluets (Enallagma civile) last Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As many of you may recall, damselflies are the smaller “cousins” of dragonflies—together they make up the order of insects known as odonata. Damselflies have eyes farther apart than dragonflies and generally perch with their wings held closed above them, unlike dragonflies that extend their wings when perching.
The damselfly in the first photo is a female Familiar Bluet. The brown, nondescript color is fairly typical for female damselflies, which tend to be less colorful than their male counterparts. In order to determine the species, I have to look at the pattern of stripes on the thorax (the “shoulders”) and the abdomen (the “tail”) and the color and size of the eye spots.
The damselfly in the second photo is a male Familiar Bluet. Like most other male bluets, this damselfly’s body is covered in patterns of black and blue. I often have trouble distinguishing between the different species of bluets, but once again the eye spots, shoulder stripes, and the specific color pattern are key factors that I look for in trying to come up with an identification.
I am not sure if these damselflies are unusually late or if I simply was not looking for them as hard in previous years. At this time of the year I spend a lot of time looking up at the distant trees for indications of bird activity and I may not have been paying as much attention to the vegetation at my feet.
Temperatures have dropped close to the freezing mark the last couple of nights and I fear that the frosty weather may hasten the demise of these beautiful little creatures. If so, these may well be the last damselflies that I will see until next spring. Au revoir, mes petits amis.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Following you for so long, I’m even surprised to see a dragonfly this late. Nice photo.
Today will be a real test, Dan, as I go out to see if the dragonflies have survived our first frosty days.
They would have to be the hearty ones.
Mike. Lots of daylily growers saw rebloom on plants that never rebloomed before. My take on it is warmer and moister weather. Could that also be responsible for the extended damselfly season ? The other side of that coin is you are getting better at looking for them too. I am going to go with a little bit of both. Enjoy it while it lasts. Thanks
For the second year in a row, the crab apple tree in my front yard put out some blossoms in October. I am sure that the warmer, moister air had something to do with that. I don’t know for sure how much the longevity of dragonflies and damselflies is affected by the weather, but suspect that there is some relationship, though it probably varies for each individual. Your final comment is really astute, because I know that I have gotten better at spotting these little creatures. I agree that the best explanation for my sightings is a combination of environmental factors and observational skills.
Very nice Mike! Glad you are still seeing & photographing damselflies this late in the season!
so beautiful. the female looked silver to me. blessings
Thanks. As I look again at the photo of the female, I can see as much silver as I do brownish overtones. 🙂
Beautiful treasure still lingering as autumn leaves..the last of the damsel flies a rhapsody in bluet..
Your post inspired the above little poem, Mike.
Thank you@
“A rhapsody in bluet”–I love your poem, Suzette.
My pleasure. Thank you for the inspiration!
Love the damselfly on the speckled leaf. Her colouring goes so well with the leaf.