Blue-eyed Darner

Bright sky-blue eyes and turquoise-patterned abdomens distinguish mature males as they patrol open waters, meadows, and clearings across western North America. Active hunters, these large dragonflies capture gnats, mosquitoes, and small moths mid-air using their spiny legs like a basket. After mating, females deposit eggs into submerged plant tissue while hovering solitary or in tandem over calm ponds and slow streams.