Vivid Dancer

Argia vivida exhibit thermoregulation by living in habitats that allow for different thermal regimes throughout the day. At night, individuals typically settle in forest trees to maintain their body temperatures and slow the radiant loss of heat. During the day, they move away from the trees into sunspots available in thinned forest for thermal basking. Therefore, an ideal habitat for the species consists of a forest containing dense trees in addition to cleared patches or thinned forest to best suit their thermoregulation requirements. In fuel-modified forests, Argia vivida still roost in trees at night but prefer cleared fuel treatment sections of the forest compared to thinned forest for the purposes of basking and foraging.

Upon mating, females lay their eggs on sources of vegetation just below the surface of the water. A temperature of at least 11°C is required for egg development, although larvae can overwinter in water temperatures in the range 0–33°C. In thermal springs, the life cycle takes approximately 1 year to complete, but may extend for up to 2 to 3 years in cooler springs. Argia vivida finally emerge as adults anytime between April through October depending on the current temperature.