insect · GBIF taxon 5051741
Common Green Darner
Anax juniusAlso known as Green Darner, Darning Needle, Hurricane Dragonfly
Common green darners are magnificent, large dragonflies easily recognized by their bright green thorax and the male's brilliant blue abdomen. These aerial acrobats are famous for their multi-generational migrations, traveling thousands of miles between northern breeding grounds and southern wintering sites. As voracious predators, they patrol ponds and fields, catching mosquitoes, flies, and other insects mid-air using their legs like a basket.
MigratoryPredatoryVibrant
- diet
- Flying insects including mosquitoes, flies, moths, butterflies, and smaller dragonflies
- family
- Aeshnidae
- threats
- Wetland destruction, water pollution, pesticide runoff, and climate change disrupting migration cues
- life Span
- Up to 1 year
LC
Capable of delivering a harmless but surprising pinch if handled; observe their aerial displays from a distance.
- Binocular spotting: Watch them patrol shorelines, where they fly in predictable loops and occasionally hover in place.
- Morning observation: Look for them roosting on vegetation early in the morning when cool temperatures keep them still.
- Migration watching: Scan open fields and coastlines in late summer to witness large swarms heading south.