#variable dancer

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

Can I request the violet dancer damselfly? They're purple :]

Looks like the violet dancer damselfly is a subspecies of the variable dancer! I had a hard time finding photos of just the subspecies, so I'll do a poll on just the variable dancer, I hope that's alright :)

Have you seen the variable dancer (Argia fumipennis)?

I have now

Yes, in photos/videos

Yes, irl

I'm not sure

Voting ended onJan 14, 2025

The main subspecies of the variable dancer are the black dancer, smoky-winged dancer, and violet dancer. It looks like the smoky-winged dancer and the violet dancer can both be purple!

[northerlyy]

Smoky-winged Dancers (Argia fumipennis ssp. fumipennis), male (top) and female (bottom), taken September 5, 2024, in Georgia, US

The Southeastern subspecies of the Variable Dancer, as opposed to the Violet Dancer in the (sort of) Northeastern US. They're extremely common in my area, appearing in droves along with Fragile Forktails. I absolutely love their colors, both male and female!

[onenicebugperday]

Variable dancer damselfly, Argia fumipennis, Coenagrionidae

The variable dancer is found mostly in the eastern United States, but also through the center of the country and down into Mexico. A large range of coloration is seen in this species and its subspecies with females usually less colorful, but most notable is the male of the subspecies Argia fumipennis violacea (the violet dancer), which is purple with a blue abdominal tip.

Photo 1 by susanelliott, 2 by Rsbernard, 3 by maurice13, 4 by hitefamily, 5-6 by judygva, 7 by greglasley, 8 by muir, 9 by marykeim, and 10 by judygva

[cityspiderboston-blog]

[Image Description: Two pictures of a purple insect with a long thin body, very large eyes, and lace-like wings. The insect is sitting on something wooden. The first picture is a side-view of the insect. The second picture is taken at a three-quarters angle, to emphasize the insects eyes.]

I went to Acadia! It was an absolute delight of an adventure, except for the part where it turns out Acadian dragonflies are the least well-behaved dragonflies I’ve ever met. More on that later...

The *damselflies* on the other hand were quite responsive. This one in particular was more than happy to pose, so I could get some nice shots. Look at that purple! It’s most likely a subspecies of Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis) called Violet Dancer. A perfect name!

Do check as full-size a version of this photo as you can, because *wow* is she a delight. I love looking at damselfly and dragonfly wings --they’re so delicate!

Photo Credit: I took this one at ACADIA! CC-BY-NC CitySpider 2018

[northerlyy]

Smoky-winged Dancer (Argia fumipennis ssp. fumipennis), teneral female, taken May 6, 2025, in Georgia, US

Here I am again, filling my blog with damselflies... Update on these guys: the males are STILL brown. It's been 3 weeks!!! When will they turn purple?? They look nice brown as well, but they're not even the pretty brown they get when they're mature. When fully adult, females will become a nice golden brown and males become a vibrant violet, both having black patterning as well. It looks gorgeous, but right now all of them are this sad, pale brown. The day I see a purple male I am going to jump for joy and scare it away lol.

[ryanhodnett]

Violet Dancer (Argia fumipennis violacea)

Ryan Hodnett | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Original on Wikimedia Commons

[speciesofleastconcern]

Variable dancer, Stonybrook Reservation, Boston, 8/28/16

[ryanhodnett]

Violet Dancer (Argia fumipennis violacea), Male

Ryan Hodnett | CC BY-SA 4.0