The Springwater Dancer in Arizona has a wide distribution and has been recorded in most counties. It resembles two species - the Apache and Spine-tipped Dancers - with a more restricted distribution and with which it can be found at a same location, especially in the South half of the state. Separating mature males of the three species in the field requires examination of the thorax and abdomen.
Species Compared
Male Comparison
Thorax
- Apache Dancer: thin median and humeral black stripes; conspicuous pale line on side of thorax
- Spine-tipped Dancer: lower half of humeral stripe forms an elongated black rectangle
- Springwater Dancer: thin black humeral stripe widens, but does not form a rectangle at its lower end.
Abdominal segment 2
- Apache Dancer: segment 2 has small black dorsolateral spot
- Spine-tipped Dancer: segment 2 has a characteristic black saddle-shaped bilateral mark
- Springwater Dancer: segment 2 has an elongated black bilateral mark that widens posteriorly, but is not saddle-shaped.
Other abdominal segments
- Apache Dancer: segments 8 and 9 entirely blue
- Spine-tipped Dancer: segments 8 and 9 have a black lateral stripe
- Springwater Dancer: segments 8 and 9 are entirely blue.
Appendage shape
- Also note the difference between species in appendage shape.
Lateral views of the head/thorax/first abdominal segments and of the last abdominal segments and appendages of the male Apache, Spine-tipped, and Springwater Dancers, AZ.