Blue-eyed Darner

Rhionaeschna multicolor

The Blue-eyed Darner is a beautiful dragonfly with bright blue eyes and colorful wings. It loves to fly around near water and is fun to watch as it zooms through the air!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Blue-eyed Darner is a large, powerful dragonfly with striking iridescent blue eyes in males. Its robust body is dark brown or black, marked with bright blue spots or stripes, making it visually distinct. Females have similar patterns but often with greenish or yellowish eyes.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyAeshnidaeGenusRhionaeschna

Blue-eyed Darner

Interesting facts

A Blue-eyed Darner's wings beat independently for incredible flight control.

Dragonflies are ancient insects; their ancestors lived before dinosaurs!

It catches flying prey mid-air using its spiky legs like a net.

They can even see light that is polarized, helping them find water!

Special abilities

Blue-eyed Darners have huge compound eyes for nearly 360-degree vision, helping them spot tiny prey and predators.

Blue-eyed Darners can hover, fly backward, and change direction instantly because their four wings move independently.

Blue-eyed Darner nymphs have an extendable lower lip (labium) that shoots out to snatch aquatic prey.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 90-110 mm
Size: 65-75 mm
Lifespan: 30-90 days
Flight Speed: 40 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

They are fierce aerial hunters, catching and eating other flying insects while in flight.

Age differences: Nymphs (larvae) are aquatic predators, eating small fish, tadpoles, and other aquatic insects; adults hunt flying insects.

Primary Foods

Mosquitoes
Flies
Midges
Moths
Butterflies
Bees

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

Common malaria mosquito

Anopheles quadrimaculatus

Reduces populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

hunts

House fly

Musca domestica

Helps control common pest insects around water.

eaten by

American bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

Larval and adult darners can be food for larger predators.

eaten by

House sparrow

Passer domesticus

Adult dragonflies are a food source for many bird species.

eaten by

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

Fish commonly prey on dragonfly nymphs in aquatic habitats.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Aerial

Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.