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Aeshna umbrosa
The shadow darner is a large dragonfly with a length of 2 5/8 to 3 1/8 inches (68 to 78 mm). The base is brownish black in color. Greenish crescent-shaped spots are at the top of the thorax. The sides of the thorax are marked with two yellowish to yellowish green diagonal stripes. Its abdomen is marked with bluish green spots. The male shadow darner has paddle-shaped anal appendages.
The shadow darner patrols along small marshy streams. Its often found feeding along woodland edges or even in deep shadow in full forest. Shadow darners can also be found near ditches, slow streams, and ponds.
This dragonfly will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect including mosquitoes, flies, butterflies, moths, mayflies, and stoneflies. Male shadow darners establish and defend territories along the shores of slow streams and ponds. After both genders mate, females fly singly, without the male attached, to lay their eggs in the stems and leaves of aquatic plants.
Thank you all for your help! I checked out CindyBinghamKeisers suggested link for the Shadow Darner ( http://bugguide.net/node/view/6323 ) and I think she may be right! The Springtime Darner I originally thought it was didn't have the blue on the body like the Shadow Darner and the one I saw did!
Thank you all for your help :)
well, the only problem with that ID is, like the name suggests, springtime darner is pretty much found only early in the year, maybe july at the latest.
Thank you! With your help I was able to Google search and find the right one I saw :)
Here is the type (Springtime Darner (Basiaeschna janata) and link I found it at:
http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/05/29/a...
one of the darners (genus: Aeshna), tough to tell species from this view though.
Spotted on Sep 10, 2011
Submitted on Sep 12, 2011
