Variable Dancer

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Three different subspecies of Variable Dancers (Argia fumipennis) inhabit the Eastern United States:

• The Black Dancer of Florida (Argia fumipennis atra)
• The Smoky-winged Dancer of the Southeast (Argia fumipennis fumipennis)
• The Violet Dancer of most of the East (Argia fumipennis violacea)

While body color can vary from subspecies to subspecies, most of the males are violet, with blue an alternative color. Most of the females are brown.

Wing color tends to get darker in the southern half of its range, with the darkest winged species, the Black Dancer, found almost exclusively in Florida.

The top picture shows a species with a brownish body and almost black wings, making the tentative identification a femals Black Dancer (Argia fumipennis atra).

© 2009. Patricia A. Michaels.