common green darner

Common green darner is a large, common dragonfly. It is 2⅔″ to 3⅛″ long, averaging 3″ long. It is the most common darner in North America.

There is a black spot enclosed by a medium to dark blue semi-circle that forms a “bull’s eye” spot in front of the eyes.

The eyes are medium brown, the color of milk chocolate, with a yellow rear (posterior) rim.

The thorax is bright green and is not striped.

The abdomen is thick compared to other darners. The male abdomen has a dark purple top (dorsal) stripe and wide, bright blue side (lateral) stripes. The lateral stripes change to green toward the rear. The base of segment 3 (S3), the long and narrow segment close to the thorax, is white. When in flight, the abdomen is carried straight. The female abdomen is similar but with grayish-green lateral stripes. In cool weather the lateral stripes of both sexes fade to the same color as the dorsal stripe. S2 is the last segment to fade. Immature individuals of both sexes have a brownish-red abdomen.

On the male the pair of appendages at the end of the abdomen (cerci) have a pointed spine at the outer corner.

The wingspan is up to 4⅜″. The wings are clear and have a small yellow area near the tip. The hindwing triangle and the forewing triangle are the same size.

2⅔″ to 3⅛″ long

Ponds, lakes, and slow streams with vegetation.

Mid-April to mid-October

Adults have an irregular territory which they patrol about three feet above the ground.

They perch vertically.

Juveniles in Canada and the northern Unites States flock together in the fall and migrate south, following the north shore of Lake Superior for part of their route. Radio tagging has shown that they fly as much as 87 miles in a day. American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) migrate at the same time using the same route, and may use the darner migration as a food source during their migration. There is also a resident population that overwinters as larvae. The migrant population reproduces in the southern United States and their offspring migrate north in the spring.

Eggs are deposited inside the stem of emergent vegetation below the waterline. This is the only darner that lays eggs while the male and female are still in tandem. The naiads take several years to mature. When they mature they crawl up an emergent plant and an adult emerges at night.

Tadpoles, small fish, mosquito larvae, fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp.

Midges, mosquitoes, caddis flies, flies, butterflies, moths, stoneflies, and mayflies.

Sources

7, 18, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82, 83

Haarstad, J. 1997. The dragonflies of selected eastern Minnesota rivers. Report submitted to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Unpaged.

Common

backyard

While you have several photos of the common green darner on your site, none of them show the dragonfly in the “wheel formation”. I took this picture on the Wagon Wheel Trail in La Crescent, MN on May 26, 2021.

Thanks for your excellent web page. I use it often to help identify the things I take pictures of.

Female or juvenile

Male on a cool morning or juvenile male; note the blue on S2.

Common Green Darner
DianesDigitals

Anax junius (Green Darner)
Allen Chartier

Common Green Darner
Victor Fazio

COMMON GREEN DARNER DRAGONFLY
Ed McAskill

"Cyclopean Looking Dragonfly Head"
Published on Mar 7, 2016

Common Green Darner Dragonfly (Aeshnidae: Anax junius) Female, Close-up
Carl Barrentine

Green Darner Dragonfly (Aeschnidae: Anax junius) Dorsal Close-up
Carl Barrentine

Common Green Darner Dragonfly (Aeschnidae: Anax junius) Lateral View
Carl Barrentine

COMMON GREEN DARNERS MATING
Victor Trapp

Michelle F.
11/25/2024

Location: Coon Rapids, MN

Jeremiah Matthews
8/30/2023

Location: Lapeer, Michigan

Location: Saint Paul (Dayton’s Bluff)

backyard

Location: Franklin, Mn

Location: Wagon Wheel Trail, La Crescent, MN

While you have several photos of the common green darner on your site, none of them show the dragonfly in the “wheel formation”. I took this picture on the Wagon Wheel Trail in La Crescent, MN on May 26, 2021.

Thanks for your excellent web page. I use it often to help identify the things I take pictures of.

Heather Packer
4/6/2021

Location: West Newton-Kellogg, MN

Location: Nelson Minnesota, Douglas Co.

Yesterday I woke up to this beautiful dragonfly on my screen and it remained there till dark. Looking it up, I am sure it is a Green Darner.

Location: Woodbury, MN

Location: Andover MN

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

Location: Rockville, MN

resting on the leaves of the morning glory vines in my yard

Location: Sunfish Lake Park, Lake Elmo, MN

Location: Near a pond in Norman Co. Mn.

It was resting on a thin branch of a tree. Almost looked like a hanging dragonfly ornament.

Location: Orono, MN

seen by our neighbor. Beautiful creature.

Location: Kanabec County

just saw your map had Kanabec County white. but today I ran into one for the first time so you can fill Kanabec in.

Common green darner has been recorded in all of the surrounding counties two counties deep. It is unlikely that the dragonfly is not found in Kanabec County. However, the map is created using only the sources listed and verified sightings. For a sighting to be verified it must include a photo sufficient to identify the species. Send us a photo of common green darner taken in Kanabec County and the county will be filled in on the map.