Facilitating the protection and restoration of species and ecosystems at risk on BC’s South Coast
Emma's Dancer
Argia emma
Argia
emma
A member of the family Coenagrionidae (“Closed-winged, Narrow-winged” or “Pond” damselflies), with approximately 1,100 species. Members of the genus Argia are collectively referred to as “Dancers.” Wings are held closed and tight to the body when resting. Argia species are often associated with flowing water.
Length: males 3.3—3.9 cm, females 3.4—3.8 cm. Male Emma's Dancer have a violet head, thorax and abdomen with a distinct “pruinescence” (dusty or frosty appearance). The thorax has thin, black, mid-dorsal stripes (lower stripe can be broken). Each abdominal segment has a patch of black, becoming mainly black in the last two segments near the tip (violet-blue on males, tan or brown on females). Patterning on immature adults and females is similar to that of males, however violet colouration and pruinescence is lacking and body colour tends to be light brown, olive, slate or tan. The 2-2.1 cm larvae (“nymphs”), have antennae slightly longer than the head, are light brown with dark brown patterning and have light mid-dorsal and lateral striping edged with black. Damselfly larvae are more slender than those of dragonflies and have three external, feathery gills extending from the tip of the abdomen, used to breath. Dragonfly larvae have gills inside the abdomen.
Download Species Fact Sheet in PDF
Status
Global Status:
G5
Provincial Status:
S3S4
BC List Status:
Blue (Considered to be of Special Concern)
RESOURCES
For further information see:
A source for authoritative conservation information on thousands of plants and animals and hundreds of ecological communities in BC. From here connect to all provincial and federal recovery plans (including the SARA Registry), COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada), Identified Wildlife guidance and conservation requirements for specific species and ecological communities of conservation concern impacted by forestry activities) and links to E-Flora and E-Fauna (the Electronic Atlas of the Plants and Wildlife of British Columbia).
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