The Canada Darner is probably the most common blue, or mosaic, darner found in Minnesota. Males are primarily blue and black in color, but can also be green and black or a combination of blue/green and black. Females come in either a typical green form or an uncommon blue form, which resembles the males
Click on photos above for a close-up view.
Click on photos above for a close-up view.
Males spend much of their time in flight defending a territory of around 20 to 60 feet. In the evening they will often group together in feeding swarms. These swarms often include several different species of darners and possibly other species such as saddlebags or gliders. At night they typically perch hanging from the branches of trees or bushes.
Often associated with boggy lakes, beaver ponds, and slow streams with an abundance of emergent vegetation.
Mating typically occurs in bushes near the water. Females oviposit eggs one at a time into plant stems, algae and moss typically in marshy areas along the shoreline
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Click here for county and state checklists from Odonata Central.
Range maps and checklists courtesy of Odonata Central. Copyright © 2016 OdonataCentral. All Rights Reserved. Abbott, J.C. 2006-2018. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at www.odonatacentral.org.
