Hagen's Bluet

According to the Wisconsin Odonata Survey, about two dozen bluet species occur in the upper midwest.  All look similar and can only be identified with a hand lens. The Hagen's Bluet is common across the northern United States and southern Canada. Its preferred habitat includes ponds and marshes. Last June I found this stunning damselfly in the grasses along the shore of the small pond on the southern edge of Carleton College's lower arboretum. According to Scott King, this damselfly "can't be identified for sure, but if you labeled it a Hagen's Bluet, I can't imagine any objections."