As with other bluets, the Tule Bluet is
distinguished from forktails by having lots of blue in the abdomen. This gives rise to the useful mnemonic:
lots
of blue in it = bluet
The Tule Bluet is separated from other bluets
by the almost equal-width bands of black and blue on the middle segments of the
abdomen. This is the key field mark for
this species. In many cases, Tule Bluets
are numerous at a given location, even when no other bluets are seen. Perched Tule Bluets fold their wings like a
tent over the abdomen.
Here's another view:
Tule
Bluets are often numerous in the vegetation along the shore of a lake or
pond. They are frequently seen flying in
tandem. Females use their ovipositor to
cut a slit in a stem of vegetation and deposit eggs inside. Sometimes, the tandem pair lands on a stem
emerging from the water, and descends on it until the female is completely
submerged. The male stays attached and
goes underwater with the female in some cases, but more often releases his grip
when partly submerged, and hovers until the female reemerges.
It is not uncommon to see a female in the
bushes with the abdomen of a male still attached to her thorax. This strange situation occurs as the result of
an attack by a darner, who grabs a tandem pair and snips off the thorax of the
male for a snack, dropping the rest into the bushes. Here's an example:
The Tule Bluet is widespread in North America, especially in the northern part. Here's the range map:
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