Fauna
Insect

Blue Dasher

Pachydiplax longipennis

Blue dashers are aggressive, highly visible dragonflies commonly seen perching on emergent vegetation around still waters. Mature males feature chalky blue abdomens, striped thorax patterns, and bright metallic green eyes, while females display distinct yellow stripes along a brown abdomen. They make brief, rapid hunting sorties from a favorite stem, snatching mosquitoes and midges right out of the air before returning to the same spot.

WetlandPredatoryAgile Flyer
Blue Dasher reference1 / 7
"July 2014 CPM Art Challenge Photo 'Blue Dasher' #1407" by COLORED PENCIL magazine is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyMosquitoes, Midges, Small flies
Predators
  • Birds
  • Frogs
  • Larger dragonflies
ThreatsPesticide contamination, wetland drainage, habitat loss
HabitatsPonds, lakes, marshes, ditches, slow streams
Life span1–2 months as adult; up to 1 year total life cycle
Classification
  1. OrderOdonata
  2. FamilyLibellulidae
  3. GenusPachydiplax
  4. SpeciesPachydiplax longipennis
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Observing: Look for males resting on twigs near water, raising their abdomens on hot sunny days to regulate body temperature.
  • Photography: Move slowly toward their perching stem, as individuals routinely fly back to the exact same location after flushing.
  • Habitat timing: Visit sunny pond margins during warm summer mid-afternoons when flight activity reaches its peak.
Related species
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Found in Collections

Ecosystem chain

Wetland Territory

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