Subject: Tule Bluet with side of flies
Location: Hardwick, New Jersey
August 4, 2017 11:42 am
Thought you might enjoy these photos of a Tule Bluet dining on some sort of fly (I think). Not sure if there is enough of the fly visible in this shot to identify it. The bluet is about 1.5 inches long, which gives you a context for the size of the fly.
Happy bugging!
Signature: Deborah Bifulco
Dear Deborah,
As always, your images of this feasting Damselfly are gorgeous and an excellent addition to our Food Chain tag. We believe, because of the long legs, that the prey is either a Crane Fly in the infraorder Tipulomorpha or a Long Legged Fly in the family Dolichopodidae. The Long Legged Flies, according to BugGuide, are found in “Lightly shaded areas near swamps and streams, in meadows and woodlands” so their habitat is about the same as the Tule Bluet which is pictured on BugGuide.
