Lake Darner
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Calgary

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

10 Verified sightings at Calgary
71 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
July 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 Calgary?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lake Darner sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 155th most-seen of the 256 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

July

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lake Darner in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months.

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 Calgary the best place to see a Lake Darner?

2nd of 3

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Lake Darner sightings, Calgary ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Anchorage (United States, about 10%).

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 Calgary (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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