About Rhionaeschna multicolor (Hagen, 1861)
The blue-eyed darner, with the scientific name Rhionaeschna multicolor (synonym Aeshna multicolor), is a common dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is native to the western United States. It is commonly sighted in the sagebrush steppe of the Snake River Plain, and its range extends east to the Midwest, from central Canada and the Dakotas, south to west Texas and Oklahoma. In Central America, its range extends south to Panama. This species is usually the second earliest darner to emerge in spring; the California darner is the first to emerge. It hunts small flying insects while in flight. The blue-eyed darner is distributed across western North America and Central America, reaching as far south as Panama, and lives at both low and moderate altitudes. It can be found near a variety of water bodies, including lakes, ponds, slow-moving streams, canals, and marshy areas, and prefers open areas over wooded areas. When not breeding, it is more likely to be seen far from water than most dragonflies, and can be found in city yards, parking lots, and other urban locations. It is active from spring to late in the year. It may be migratory in California, because large numbers of blue-eyed darners appear there in the fall.
