Canada Darner

Canada Darner

Aeshna canadensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Montreal

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

24 Verified sightings at Montreal
10 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Canada Darner

Aeshna canadensis, the Canada darner, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is common throughout southern Canada and the northern United States. Adult Canada darners, similar to other members of the genus Aeshna, are relatively large, slender dragonflies, and are predominantly dark brown with paler blue or green markings. Adults are 64 to 73 mm in total length. The thorax has two vertical stripes on each side, the front with a prominent notch and an extension at the top. The abdomen has spots on most segments. The pale markings are usually blue in males and range from yellow-green to blue in females. The eyes are bluish in males and yellowish or bluish in females. The pale markings may turn gray at colder temperatures.

The green-striped darner is very similar, but is distinguished by minor differences in the shape of the markings and in typically having green thorax stripes. The lake darner is also similar but is larger and has a distinct dark stripe across the face.

The Canada darner was first scientifically described in 1908 by Canadian entomologist Edmund Murton Walker, in the same publication as the first descriptions of black-tipped... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
2 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Canada Darner in Montreal?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Canada Darner sighting in Montreal on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 335th most-seen of the 926 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 Canada Darner in Montreal?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Canada Darner in Montreal on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

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

Between 11 am and 2 pm

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

Is Montreal the best place to see a Canada Darner?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Canada Darner sightings, Montreal has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, under 5%) and Toronto (Canada, under 5%).

Where does the Canada Darner sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Canada Darner is recorded against all the insects logged in Montreal (24 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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