Species Anax junius - Common Green Darner

Anax junius (Drury, 1773)

= Anax spiniferus Rambur, 1842

= Anax ocellatus Hagen, 1867

= Anax severus Hagen, 1867

68-80 mm

Guide images should allow for easy recognition.

- Thorax unmarked bright green in both sexes

- In mature males the abdomen has a dark purple dorsal stripe flanked by bright blue lateral stripes

- When cool, the blue stripes change to purple and may become so dark as to blend in with the dorsal stripe to give a uniform purplish abdomen (see also Internet Ref. below)

- Immature males, and females, have red abdomens and can easily be mistaken for Comet Darner

- Mature females have rusty brown to purple abdomens

- Both sexes have a large black spot, a "bulls eye" in front of the eyes; a feature that is absent in Comet Darners

Tony's lateral images give great male/female comparison

Some closeups of the end of the abdomen for comparison:

Male:

Female dorsal:

Female lateral:

NS to BC south throughout the USA

Adults are strong flyers and may be found anywhere but are more common near naiad habitat: still marshy waters, fresh and slightly brackish.

Late Spring - Fall in Canada. Longer season as one moves south to fly all year in southern Florida

Both adults and naiads are predaceous

Females oviposit in aquatic vegetation, eggs laid beneath the water surface. Naiads probably take several years to mature. Mature naiads crawl up an emergent plant before adult emerges. Adults migrate north in Spring, these do breed in Canada. In the Fall the adults may form swarms and migrate south.

The only Darner that lays eggs in tandem.

Naiads are large. Exuviae can be found on emergent plants just above water surface.