Identification

Field Marks

• Average adult size is approximately 2.9 inches
• Male's eyes are greenish-blue
• Faint crossline on the face
• Thoracic stripes are thin and straight
• The front thoracic stripe may taper towards the top
• Thoracic stripes typically have a rearward flag, often making them look like the number 77
• Abdominal top spots are small with a pair of triangular spots near the front of each segment and larger spots near the end
• Pale spots on the bottom of the abdomen
• Segment 3 is visibly constricted
• Wedge style claspers with a rearward pointing spike
• Dark Cerci and pale epiproct

Field Marks

• Female Shadow Darners come in two color forms
• The green-form has brown eyes, yellow thorax stripes and green spots on the abdomen
• The blue-form has bluish eyes, green thoracic stripes and blue abdominal spots
• Female's terminal appendages are longer than segments 9 and 10 combined, rounded at the tip and often broken off in mature adults

Similar Species

• Lance-tipped Darner
• The Shadow Darner and Lance-tipped Darner are the only two Darners in Minnesota that have a spike extending from the cerci of the male's claspers
• Shadow Darners are typically found in dark shadowed habitats where Lance-tipped Darners prefer the sun
• Black-tipped Darner
• Shadow Darner and Lance-tipped Darners often look darker than other darners because they have thin, straight thoracic stripes and small abdominal spots
• Males can be distinguished by the spike extending from the cerci of the Shadow Darner, which Black-tipped Darners do not have

Behavior

Shadow Darners are more at home in the shade than other darners. They can often be found hunting in forest opeings and around woodland edges. They are usually seen later in the day and will fly until it is too dark to see them. Males spend a good amount of time patrolling for females and can often be seen hovering over the water.

Habitat

Slow streams, lakes, ponds, bogs, marshes. Most often found in shady areas.

Reproduction

Males patrol territory looking for females, which they grab in flight. Females typically oviposit eggs into floating logs, rotting stumps or earthy banks. The cerci often break off while the female is ovipositing