Shadow Darner / Aeschne des pénombres
Aeshna umbrosa
Fundy Nature Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes 2
Shadow Darner / Aeschne des pénombres
(Aeshna umbrosa)
Adult size: 68-78 mm
Status/Habitat: Common throughout New Brunswick. Uses shaded forest streams, woodland openings, small lake and pond edges, moving out into more open areas such as roads, fields and marshes as light fades.
Flight period in New Brunswick: June 21st-November 3rd
ID hints: A thin first thoracic stripe topped with a lateral flag, somewhat resembling a walking stick or upside-down hockey stick. The male's claspers are wedge-shaped, similar to those of the Lance-tipped Darner, but very different from those of the Canada Darner and its ilk, whose claspers are of the paddle type. There are no facial crosslines present, which help distinguish is from the Sedge Darner and some other species.
Nature Notes: The Shadow Darner is a widespread species in North America. It is usually the last large species of dragonfly on the wing in northeastern North America, sometimes found until the very end of October or early November here in New Brunswick. It gets its name for its propensity to regularly spend time hawking "in the shadows" and can often be seen hunting on cloudy days and into the twilight. They typically avoid hunting in full sunlight until later in the season, when the temperature becomes too cold for evening flight. Another interesting fact about the Shadow Darner is that in the northern parts of the range of this species, the larvae may well take an extra year to mature, meaning that these individuals will be ready to emerge earlier in the year.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet
- (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNaturalist.ca Map
| Family | Aeshnidae |
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