| Shadow darner | |
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| Aeshna umbrosa (male) | |
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| Aeshna umbrosa (female) | |
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| Species: | A. umbrosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Aeshna umbrosa (Walker, 1908) | |
The shadow darner (Aeshna umbrosa) is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is found in almost all of Canada and most states in the United States.
The shadow darner is a large dragonfly with a length of 68 to 78 mm (2.7 to 3.1 in). The base is brownish black in color. Greenish crescent-shaped spots are found at the top of the thorax. The sides of the thorax are marked with two yellowish to yellowish-green diagonal stripes. Its abdomen is marked with bluish green spots. The male shadow darner has paddle-shaped anal appendages.
The naiad of the shadow darner is large in size, with a length of 38 to 43 mm (1.5 to 1.7 in). This naiad is long and slender, which is the typical shape of immature darners. It is mottled green and brown. The shadow darner has a vertically flattened cerci with a spike at the end, which is much brighter than the lance-tipped darner.
This dragonfly is found in most of the United States except the dry Southwest and in all of the provinces and territories of Canada.
The shadow darner patrols along small marshy streams. It is often found feeding along woodland edges or even in deep shadow in full forest. Shadow darners can also be found near ditches, slow streams, and ponds. This darner has a long flight season of late April to November.
The shadow darner naiad feeds on a wide variety of aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp. They also feed on small fish and tadpoles. This adult will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect, including mosquitoes, flies, butterflies, moths, mayflies, and stoneflies.
The naiad is an active predator and are able to swim by jet propulsion. They squirt water out from the ends of their abdomens. They will generally take several years to mature, and when the immature changes into a dragonfly, it does so at night. This behavior probably was evolved to avoid being eaten be daytime predators. The adult generally flies from late April to November, and does all of its hunting while on the wing. The shadow darner is able to regulate its body temperature which enables it to fly in temperatures too cold for most dragonflies. This dragonfly species in particular seems to be extremely cold tolerant. This dragonfly flies at dusk and in shaded areas, and it flies later into the fall than any species other than the yellow-legged meadowhawk ( Sympetrum vicinum ).
Male shadow darners establish and defend territories along the shores of slow streams and ponds. After mating, females fly singly, without the male attached, to lay their eggs in the stems and leaves of aquatic plants.
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. Adult dragonflies are characterized by a pair of large, multifaceted compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
Mayflies are aquatic insects belonging to the order Ephemeroptera. This order is part of an ancient group of insects termed the Palaeoptera, which also contains dragonflies and damselflies. Over 3,000 species of mayfly are known worldwide, grouped into over 400 genera in 42 families.
The Aeshnidae, also called aeshnids, hawkers, or darners, is a family of dragonflies. The family includes the largest dragonflies found in North America and Europe and among the largest dragonflies on the planet.
The green darner or common green darner, after its resemblance to a darning needle, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. One of the most common and abundant species throughout North America, it also ranges south to Panama. It is well known for its great migration distance from the northern United States south into Texas and Mexico. It also occurs in the Caribbean, Tahiti, and Asia from Japan to mainland China. It is the official insect for the state of Washington in the United States.
The southern hawker or blue hawker is a species of hawker dragonfly.
The flame skimmer or firecracker skimmer is a common dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to western North America.
Sympetrum danae, the black darter or black meadowhawk is a dragonfly found in northern Europe, Asia, and North America. At about 30 mm (1.2 in) long, it is Britain's smallest resident dragonfly. It is a very active late summer insect typical of heathland and moorland bog pools.
The ebony jewelwing is a species of broad-winged damselfly. One of about 150 species of Calopterygidae, it is found in the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada, ranging west to the Great Plains. Other common names include black-winged damselfly.
Sympetrum vicinum, the yellow-legged meadowhawk or autumn meadowhawk, is a member of the Libellulidae family and grows to 26–35 mm long.
The band-winged meadowhawk is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum belonging to the family Libellulidae.
The marsh bluet is a damselfly species in the family Coenagrionidae.
The dot-tailed whiteface is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is also one of the most common and widespread in the genus Leucorrhinia.
The desert whitetail is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. P. subornata is often put into the genus Libellula.
Sympetrum madidum, the red-veined meadowhawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
The boreal bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.
Progomphus borealis is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. This dragonfly species is commonly known as the gray sanddragon.
Gomphurus externus, the plains clubtail, is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae.
Phanogomphus graslinellus is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. This species is commonly known as the pronghorn clubtail.
The Hudsonian whiteface is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common name comes from where it is found, Hudson Bay.
Aeshna canadensis, the Canada darner, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is common throughout southern Canada and the northern United States.