Species: Anax junius

Common Green Darner
Species

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    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Mandibulata
    Class

    Insecta

    Order

    Odonata

    Family

    Aeshnidae

    Genus

    Anax

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    anax
    Informal Taxonomy
    Animals, Invertebrates - Insects - Dragonflies and Damselflies
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Mandibulata - Insecta - Odonata - Aeshnidae - Anax

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    Habitat Type Description
    Freshwater
    Migration
    false - false - true - This species is one of the few North American dragonflies that migrates and is therefore most common in the spring and fall. Migration may be triggered by seasonal warm fronts. Massive swarm migrations (1.2 million individuals) have been documented in Illinois, New Jersey, and Florida (Russell et al., 1998). Migrants from the south are some of the first dragonflies seen in spring and southbound swarms in Massachusetts in early fall may have thousands of individuals (Nikula et al., 2003). It generally arrives in Minnesota in late April and breeds primarily in marshy lakes and ponds. A new generation of adults fly south in September (Haarstad, 1997). There is evidence that the migratory movements are strongly influenced by seasonal warm fronts (Abbott, 2005).
    Non-migrant
    false
    Locally Migrant
    false
    Food Comments
    It is a voracious predator commonly taking wasps, butterflies, mosquitoes, and other dragonflies on the wing. It has even been reported to attack hummingbirds and can be cannibalistic (Abbott, 2007).
    Reproduction Comments
    Males patrol shorelines competing with other males in search of females. This is the only darner that often lays eggs in tandem (Abbott, 2005); the female suberges her abdomen and oviposits in aquatic and emergent vegetation (Nikula et al., 2003).
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G5
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    2008-03-26
    Global Status Last Changed
    1985-12-30
    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=S2&CA.BC=S5&CA.MB=S5&CA.NB=S5&CA.NS=S5&CA.ON=S5&CA.PE=S5&CA.QC=S5&CA.SK=SNR&US.AL=SNR&US.AK=SNR&US.AZ=SNR&US.AR=SNR&US.CA=SNR&US.CO=S5&US.CT=S5&US.DE=S5&US.DC=S5&US.FL=SNR&US.GA=SNR&US.HI=SNR&US.ID=SNR&US.IL=SNR&US.IN=S5&US.IA=S5&US.KS=SNR&US.KY=S5&US.LA=SNR&US.ME=S4&US.MD=S5&US.MA=SNR&US.MI=SNR&US.MN=SNR&US.MS=SNR&US.MO=S5&US.MT=S4&US.NE=SNR&US.NV=SNR&US.NH=SNR&US.NJ=S5&US.NM=SNR&US.NY=S5&US.NC=S5&US.ND=SNR&US.OH=S5&US.OK=S4&US.OR=SNR&US.PA=S5&US.RI=SNR&US.SC=SNR&US.SD=SNR&US.TN=S5&US.TX=SNR&US.UT=S3&US.VT=S5&US.VA=S5&US.WA=S5&US.WV=S5&US.WI=S5&US.WY=SNR" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    H - >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - This species is widespread in the United States, known from every state (Needham et al., 2000) and southern Canada; and also ranges into the West Indies, Guatemala and Belize south to Costa Rica; and recently in England (Abbott, 2007).
    Global Range Code
    H
    Global Range Description
    >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.116554