Summary ⁶

The variable dancer (Argia fumipennis) is a damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread throughout the East and present in the interior western United States. They are most commonly found in well-vegetated ponds and streams during the spring and summer. They eat small, flying insects.
There is a subspecies of variable dancers called the violet dancer. The male of this subspecies is purple with a blue tip. Additionally, the variable dancers also have two other subspecies: smokey-winged dancers and black dancers. The "smokey wings" refer to a grey tint to the wings, rather than being perfectly clear. This subspecies is likely to be found in the coastal plains.
These damselflies are teneral, meaning that when they first come out of their molts, they loss their color and their exoskeleton is soft. As time progresses, they gain their color and the exoskeleton hardens.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) kenlarsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/15181976@N05/44728930890/
2. (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/52450054@N04/6066981343/
3. (c) kenlarsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/15181976@N05/44728930720/
4. (c) Victor Fazio, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/victor_fazio-iii/3203052507/
5. (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/38514062@N03/15371643301/
6. Adapted by Laura Dixson from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argia_fumipennis

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0

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