About Aeshna canadensis Walker, 1908
Description: Adult Canada darners (Aeshna canadensis), like other species in the genus Aeshna, are relatively large, slender dragonflies. Their bodies are predominantly dark brown, marked with paler blue or green patterns. Adults reach a total length between 64 and 73 mm. Each side of the thorax has two vertical stripes; the front stripe has a prominent notch and an extension at its top. Most segments of the abdomen have spots. The pale markings are usually blue in males, and range from yellow-green to blue in females. Male eyes are bluish, while female eyes are either yellowish or bluish. These pale markings may turn gray when temperatures are colder. This species is very similar to the green-striped darner, but can be distinguished by minor differences in marking shape, and the green-striped darner typically has green thorax stripes. It is also similar to the lake darner, which is larger and has a distinct dark stripe across its face. Distribution: Canada darners range from Newfoundland and New Jersey in the east to Yukon in the west. Populations extend further south: along the Appalachian Mountains to West Virginia, and south through mountain ranges to California and Montana. An isolated population of this species exists in Nebraska.
