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Sticker of Blue-tipped dancer
Bug card No. 0562 of 4,939

Blue-tipped dancer

Argia tibialis
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsDragonflies and damselfliesPonds, rivers and shores6 legs

The blue-tipped dancer is a slim damselfly from North and Central America. Its name tells you about the blue tip at the end of its long tail. Damselflies are the smaller, thinner cousins of dragonflies.

Lives in
North America and Central America, near streams and ponds
Top speed
about 10 km/h (6.2 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Damselflies do not sting.
What does it eat?
Like all damselflies, it catches small flying insects. Its young hunt tiny animals in the water.
For real!Photo of Blue-tipped dancer
Picture by Judy Gallagher. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Scientists say it is not in danger and its numbers are stable.

2

Like all damselflies, it starts its life underwater as a nymph.

3

It belongs to the narrow-winged damselflies, a big family of slender damselflies.

you asked

Most asked questions about Blue-tipped dancer

?Is the blue-tipped dancer dangerous?

No. Damselflies cannot sting and are harmless to people.

?Is the blue-tipped dancer rare?

No. Its numbers are stable and it is not in danger.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Argia tibialis
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Coenagrionidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Coenagrionidae
Lives on
North America

Where the facts come from

  1. Argia tibialis (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Judy Gallagher. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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