Orange Bluet damselflies (mating pair, in wheel)

Enallagma signatum

Description:

A mating pair of Orange Bluet damselflies spotted near the shore of Accotink Bay. Odonata, an order of insects including dragonflies and damselflies, reproduce in three stages: in tandem; in wheel (sometimes called "in heart" for damselflies); and oviposition. The damselflies shown in the preceding photo gallery are "in wheel," in which the male uses "claspers" (terminal appendages) at the end of his abdomen to hold the female by her thorax while they are joined at their abdomens. All dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen: male dragonfly secondary genitalia are located in segments two and three (2 and 3); female genitalia in segment eight (8).

Habitat:

Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge, a 1,200 acre preserve located at Army Garrison Fort Belvoir, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. Related Resources: Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accotink_Ba... http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/vbwt/site.a...