Little Blue Dragonlet
Erythrodiplax minuscula
It is one of the smallest dragonflies in North America; mature males develop a striking, powdery-blue coating called pruinescence.
- Scientific name
- Erythrodiplax minuscula
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Odonata › Libellulidae › Erythrodiplax
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Acidic ponds, bogs, marshes, ditch banks, and wet pine barrens.
- Diet
- Small flying insects, including mosquitoes, gnats, midges, and small flies.
- Range
- North America, United States, Central America
- Size
- Body length of 20-27 mm; wingspan of 35-45 mm.
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 months as an adult; up to a year as an aquatic nymph.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland drainage, water pollution from pesticide runoff, and habitat fragmentation.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless to humans. You can safely observe them from a few feet away as they perch on shoreline vegetation. They do not sting and rarely bite humans unless handled roughly. If one lands on you, remain still and enjoy the close encounter.
Erythrodiplax minuscula , the little blue dragonlet , is a species of skimmer in the family of dragonflies known as Libellulidae. It is found in North America.
Photo: Laura Clark, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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