Rainbow Bluet, Enallagma antennatum 1 - 1.3 inches in length. .

On the way home from the 2004 Northeast DSA meeting, I made a stop for the spectacular Rainbow Bluet along the Poultney River in Rutland County, Vermont. This is the only known location in New England although it is considerably more common further west and there are a number of New York State records. We added Rainbow Bluet to the Washington Co. NY list, finding them at the canal opposite the Whitehall train station while I was waiting for the Amtrak. .Field identifiable.

Identification: The male is unmistakeable. Eyes and face are bright orange-red. Narrow eyespots and occipital bar are blue. Top of the thorax is black with thin yellow shoulder stripes.The sides of the thorax are bright green. Legs are yellow. The abdomen is mostly black, segments 1, 2, 8, and 10 mostly blue, segment 9 completely blue. Stigmas are red.

Similar species: None. The green thorax and blue abdomen tip may suggest a forktail species but none have bright red eyes.