Bug FAQStream Bluet
Enallagma exsulans · Order: Odonata · Family: Coenagrionidae
The stream bluet is a damselfly about 29 to 37 mm long that lives near moving water such as small to medium rivers. Both males and females have a blue tip on the abdomen, a trait that is uncommon among damselflies. Adults are most easily seen in summer and they look similar to turquoise bluets.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males usually have a blue tip on the abdomen. Females of this species also have a blue abdominal tip, which is less common.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The insect measures about 29 to 37 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers moving water and is found along small to medium-sized rivers.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It looks similar to the turquoise bluet.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where do stream bluets live?
They are found along small to medium rivers and other moving waters.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a stream bluet from other bluets?
Both sexes have a blue tip on the abdomen, and they resemble turquoise bluets.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Coenagrionidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_bluet
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.