Identification

Field Marks

• Average adult size is approximately 3.1 inches
• Blue-green eyes
• Green face with heavy black crossline
• Bold facial 'T' spot that widens at the base and extends down on to the face
• Thoracic stripes blue or blue on top fading into green at bottom
• Front thoracic stripe has a deep notch that looks like a divot
• Rear thoracic stripe also has a notch but not as deep as the front thoracic stripe
• Blue abdominal spots
• Paddle style claspers

Field Marks

• Females can be predominantly blue or green
• Blue form looks similar to males
• Green form has yellowish-green thoracic stripes
• Green form has yellowish-green abdominal top spots
• Green form has blue abdominal side spots

Similar Species

• Canada Darner
• The Lake Darner is larger than the Canada Darner
• The Lake Darner's face has a black crossline and the Canada Darner's doesn't
• The Lake Darner has a divot in the first thoracic stripe where the Canada Darner has a notch
• Green-striped Darner
• The Lake Darner is larger than the Green-striped Darner
• The Lake Darner's face has a black crossline and the Green-striped Darner's doesn't
• The Lake Darner has a divot in the first thoracic stripe where the Green-striped Darner has a shallow notch

Behavior

Strong fliers, male Lake Darners can be seen flying, typically near water, throughout the day until dusk. In the evenings they often can be found in feeding swarms of mixed species of dragonflies. When resting they tyically perch on tree trunks, bare branches or the ground.

Habitat

Lakes, large ponds, bogs, and slow streams

Reproduction

Females oviposit eggs one at a time on floating logs and the submerged stems of emergent plants