Canada darner

(Aeshna canadensis)

Conservation Status
Canada darner
Photo by Scott Bemman
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
 
Description
 
 

Canada darner is a large mosaic darner (genus Aeshna). It occurs across the northern United States and southern Canada. It is the most common blue darner in Minnesota, where it occurs throughout the state except for the western prairie counties. It is a late-season dragonfly, not appearing until late June and flying to the end of September.

Adults are 2 to 2 (68 to 74 mm) long. The body is dark brown with blue, green, or yellow markings that darken in cool temperatures. Males always have mostly blue markings. Females have three color forms; blue, green, and yellow. Most females are green form. Blue form females are rare.

There are two large compound eyes on the sides of the head and three small simple eyes (ocelli) in a triangle on the top of the head. The compound eyes of both sexes meet along a long margin at the top of the head. The antennae are tiny. The face is pale green. Like all mosaic dragonflies, there is a black T-shaped spot on the upper part of the face (frons) just below where the eyes meet. This is best seen when viewed from above. There is no bold, black, horizontal stripe across the middle of the face.

The thorax of both males and females has a pair of shoulder stripes on the top and a pair of parallel lateral stripes on each side. The front (anterior) lateral stripe is deeply notched, is narrowed toward the top, and has a narrow rearward extension (flag) at the top. On the male, the anterior stripe is blue at least at the top, often fading to green on the lower end. On females, it is usually all green, sometimes mostly blue. The rear (posterior) lateral stripe is not notched. There is a small yellow spot separating the two lateral stripes.

The abdomen is slender with rows of pale spots in a mosaic pattern. On males all 10 abdominal segments have a pair of blue spots on top and a blue spot on each side. On green form females all of the spots are yellowish-green. On intermediate form females the dorsal spots are yellowish-green, the lateral spots blue. On newly emerged females all of the markings are blue. On blue form females they remain blue. On the male the pair of appendages at the end of the abdomen (cerci) are paddle-shaped when viewed from above. On females they are large and leaf-like. They do not break off during egg laying.

The wings are clear. The forewings are slightly narrower than the hindwings. The forewing and hindwing triangles are equal in size.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: 2 to 2 (68 to 74 mm)

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Lake darner (Aeshna eremita) is larger. The posterior thoracic stripe is shallowly notched. There is a bold, black, horizontal stripe across the middle of the face.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Boggy or marshy edges of slow streams, lakes, and beaver ponds.

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

Late June through late September

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

 

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

The female deposits eggs one at a time on floating vegetation or inside the stem of emergent vegetation. The larvae (naiads) reach full size in their first year. They overwinter in a state of decreased metabolic activity (diapause).

 
     
 

Naiad Food

 
 

Insect larvae, freshwater shrimp, tadpoles, and small fish

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

Soft-bodied flying insects

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

7, 17, 18, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

 
  12/28/2022      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Very common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)  
 

Suborder

Epiprocta  
  Infraorder Anisoptera (dragonflies)  
 

Superfamily

Aeshnoidea  
 

Family

Aeshnidae (darners)  
 

Genus

Aeshna (mosaic darners)  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Aeschna canadensis

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

Canada darner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Cercus

One of a pair of small sensory appendages at the end of the abdomen of many insects and other arthropods. In Odonata, one of the upper claspers. Plural: cerci.

 

Diapause

A period of decreased metabolic activity and suspended development.

 

Frons

The upper part of an insect’s face, roughly corresponding to the forehead.

 

Naiad

The aquatic larval form (nymph) of a dragonfly, mayfly, or stonefly.

 

Ocellus

Simple eye; an eye with a single lens. Plural: ocelli.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Alfredo Colon

 
    Canada darner   Canada darner  
           
    Canada darner   Canada darner  
           
    Canada darner   Canada darner  
 

Scott Bemman

 
    Canada darner      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
    Canada darner   Canada darner  

 

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Canada Darner
John Sutton
  Canada Darner  

 

slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  4K UHD 60fps - Dragonfly Canada Darner (Aeshna canadensis) resting on a branch with sun shinning
The 4K Guy - Nature & Urban
 
   
 
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Dec 7, 2014

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  Alfredo Colon
8/12/2022

Location: Albany, NY

Canada darner  
  Scott Bemman
Summer 2020

Location: Hayes Lake State Park

Canada darner  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
   

 

 

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Created: 9/2/2020

Last Updated:

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