Identification
Large, dark brown with blue eyes. Compare Regal and Cyrano Darners.
Range
Eastern North America, common in south. Somewhat migratory, esp. along Atlantic coast.
Habitat
Shaded ponds, streams, swamps, temporary ponds
Season
February to November in Florida, June to September in northernmost part of range
Food
Predatory. May form swarms to feed on swarms of winged termites and ants. Often feeds very high.
Life Cycle
Females oviposit in a variety of sites, in mud, in stems, or in mud of dried-up ponds.
Remarks
An impressive dragonfly of southern wetlands.
Christopher Hadin journal entry -- "August 22, 2005
This evening at dusk there was a steady migration of what appeared to be Swamp Darners heading due west. Most were flying too high to catch. I went to the corner of Cottage and Osborne (in East Norwalk Connecticut) where I had a clear and unobstructed view of the sky to the east. A few came in low and I was able to catch and photograph one. The little bastard bit me with a surprisingly firm and painful pinch. I did see a few that were not moving from E to W and appeared to be feeding, but the vast majority were going in that direction. There was about one every 10 seconds and sometimes two or three came flying through together. I also noted that Green Darners were present, though not in large numbers." … Christopher Hadin, 12 September, 2005
