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Anax junius
A big size,colorful dragon fly hovering over a pond. The Green Darner or Common Green Darner (Anax junius), after its resemblance to a darning-needle, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. One of the most common and abundant species throughout North America and its range south to Panama. It is well known for its great migration distance from the northern United States south into Texas and Mexico It also occurs in the Caribbean, Tahiti, and Asia from Japan to mainland China. It is the official insect for the state of Washington in the United States. The Green Darner is one of the largest dragonflies existent: males grow to 76 mm (3.0 in) in length with a wingspan of up to 80 mm (3.1 in). Females oviposit in aquatic vegetation, eggs laid beneath the water surface. Nymphs (naiads) are aquatic carnivores, feeding on insects, tadpoles and small fish. Adult darners catch insects on the wing, including ant royalty, moths, mosquitoes and flies.
Igorneau, I really appreciate the ID and information. This is one of my favourite Dragon flies. It is almost impossible to catch it since it is always patrolling and never perches on anything.
Anax junius is characterized by the lime-green coloring on the body, with a semi-blue "tail," sometimes not even blue, even brown is a possibility. The brighter ones with blue on their "tails" are males.
Spotted on Jul 9, 2012
Submitted on Jul 9, 2012
![[Anax imperator]](https://lh5.ggpht.com/JozCi0CoAqAJ1r2C94Fhwjz5xhXWTTY9LXdawEmHw0wJLCrs8jDRh3X1CXPlhlyfZNOpXo8AvKl3hL2bKfMOCg=s62-c)
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