Lake Darner
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Anchorage

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

10 Verified sightings at Anchorage
71 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Lake Darner

Aeshna eremita, the lake darner, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is found in Alaska, the Northern United States and across Canada. It is similar in size and markings to the Canada darner, but has a black line across its face.

Aeshna eremita was first scientifically described in an 1866 paper by American biologist S. H. Scudder published in the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. The type specimens, fourteen males and two females, were collected in August around a site called Hermit Lake in the White Mountains of New England. Scudder provided a one-page synopsis of the colouration and morphology of both sexes. A holotype male specimen is held in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. The specific name, eremita, means "hermit" or "recluse" in Latin and refers to the site of discovery. The common name, "lake darner", refers to its common habitat of large lakes. All dragonflies of the family Aeshnidae, to which A. eremita belongs, are called "darners" in North America.

Aeshna crenata, a Euro–Siberian species, was thought by some scientists in the 19th century such as Hermann Hagen... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Anchorage 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
3 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lake Darner in Anchorage?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lake Darner sighting in Anchorage on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 35th most-seen of the 59 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Lake Darner in Anchorage?

August

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lake Darner in Anchorage on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months. That is one of Anchorage's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain against 40 mm in April.

What time of day is best to see a Lake Darner?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lake Darner sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Anchorage the best place to see a Lake Darner?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Lake Darner sightings, Anchorage has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Calgary (Canada, under 5%) and Montreal (Canada, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Lake Darner live in Anchorage?

Same genus: Aeshna

The closest relatives of the Lake Darner that you can see in Anchorage (genus Aeshna, Hawkers and Typical Darners) are Variable Darner (about 10%), Sedge Darner (about 10%) and Zigzag Darner (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Lake Darner sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lake Darner is recorded against all the insects logged in Anchorage (10 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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