# Aztec dancer

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{{Short description|Species of damselfly}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Aztec_Dancer_Argia_nahuana_2009-04-19.jpg
| genus = Argia
| species = nahuana
| authority = ([Calvert](/source/Philip_Powell_Calvert), 1902)&nbsp;<ref>{{ITIS |id=102152 |taxon=''Argia nahuana''}}</ref>
| range_map = North_America_Range_Argia_nahuana.svg
| range_map_caption = Range of ''A. nahuana''&nbsp;<ref>{{Cite web
 |title=Argia nahuana range map 
 |publisher=[USGS](/source/USGS) Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 
 |url=https://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/insects/dfly/usa/51.htm 
 |accessdate=December 1, 2009 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081027084046/http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/insects/dfly/usa/51.htm 
 |archivedate=October 27, 2008 
}}</ref><ref name="abbott"/>
}}

The '''Aztec dancer''' (''Argia nahuana'') [damselfly](/source/damselfly) is one of the [pond damsels](/source/Coenagrionidae). Common name originates from the Aztecs, and scientific names comes from the [Nahuas](/source/Nahuas).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Paulson |first=Dennis |date=2021 |title=A Checklist of North American Odonata |url=https://oc.staging.birdsinthehand.com/public/media/uploads/files/NA_Odonata_Checklist_2021_update.pdf |journal=Occasional Paper, Slater Museum of Natural History |issue=56}}</ref>

== Physical Description ==
The dark black stripe on the side of the [thorax](/source/Thorax_(insect_anatomy)) is forked from front to back. Other field marks include blue postocular spots, pale blue legs with a black stripe, and a blue ring on the seventh segment of the abdomen.<ref name="abbott">{{Cite book
 |title=Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States
 |last=Abbott |first=John C. |year=2005
 |publisher=[Princeton University Press](/source/Princeton_University_Press)
 |isbn=0-691-11364-5 |pages=79–81}}</ref> Can be differentiated from similar subspecies by the larger width of the stripe down its mid dorsal thorax, and medial orientation of the [cercus](/source/cercus) lobe.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Garrison |first=Rosser W. |date=1994 |title=A Synopsis of the Genus Argia of the United States with Keys and Descriptions of New Species, Argia sabino, A. leonorae, and A. pima (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40785270 |journal=Transactions of the American Entomological Society |volume=120 |issue=4 |pages=287–368 |jstor=40785270 |issn=0002-8320}}</ref> Additionally, the forewing contains four [quadrangular](/source/Quadrangular_space) cells and the hindwing has three.<ref name=":0">{{Cite thesis |last=Abbott |first=John |date=1999 |title=Biodiversity of Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of the South-Central Nearctic and Adjacent Neotropical Biotic Provinces |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501251/m2/1/high_res_d/1002658901-Abbott_Color.pdf |access-date=October 25, 2023}}</ref> Females look similar to males with the exception of their mainly light brown coloring as opposed to the males' bright blue.<ref name=":0" />

=== Similar species ===
Other dancers share many physical traits with the Aztec dancer, and often occupy similar regions. Most commonly confused with ''Argia nahuana are [Argia agrioides](/source/California_dancer), [Argia leonorae](/source/Argia_leonorae), [Argia fumipennis](/source/Variable_dancer), and [Argia hinei](/source/Lavender_dancer).''<ref name=":1" /> Aztec dancers were originally considered a variation of California dancers (''[Argia agrioides](/source/California_dancer)),'' until declared its own species in 1958.<ref name=":0" />

== Habitat ==
Aztec dancers are most common in the Southwest, including many parts of Mexico and states like California, Arizona, Texas, and Kansas.<ref name=":0" /> They reside in clear water streams with shallow water, high sun exposure, and minimal vegetation lining the water.<ref name=":0" />

== Sightings ==
First recorded sighting was in 1894. Between then and 1975, 115 sightings were reported, as compared to the post-1980 count of 35 sightings.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ball-Damerow |first1=Joan E. |last2=Oboyski |first2=Peter T. |last3=Resh |first3=Vincent H. |date=2015-02-16 |title=California dragonfly and damselfly (Odonata) database: temporal and spatial distribution of species records collected over the past century |journal=ZooKeys |issue=482 |pages=67–89 |doi=10.3897/zookeys.482.8453 |issn=1313-2970 |pmc=4337221 |pmid=25709531 |bibcode=2015ZooK..482...67B |doi-access=free }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://bugguide.net/node/view/57042 Argia nahuana] on BugGuide.Net

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1634013}}

Category:Coenagrionidae
Category:Insects described in 1902

{{Coenagrionidae-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Aztec dancer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_dancer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_dancer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.