Variable Darner

Variable Darner

Aeshna interrupta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Toronto

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

31 Verified sightings at Toronto
76 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Variable Darner

The variable darner (Aeshna interrupta) is a dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae, native from Alaska through the Northwest Territories to Newfoundland, south to New Hampshire and Michigan in the eastern United States, and to the mountains of New Mexico, Arizona, and California in the west. It's named after the distinctive broken stripes on the sides of the thorax of many male specimens. It lives in many habitats from northern and mountain peatlands to cattail marshes and temporary pools. It is the characteristic species of grassland ponds. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%

Cities Where Found

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

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Variable Darner in Toronto?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Variable Darner sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 521st most-seen of the 1689 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 Variable Darner in Toronto?

September

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

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

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Variable 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 Toronto the best place to see a Variable Darner?

5th of 6

Of the 6 cities where we can rate Variable Darner sightings, Toronto ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Anchorage (United States, about 10%), Edmonton (Canada, about 10%) and Calgary (Canada, about 10%).

Where does the Variable Darner sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Variable Darner is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (31 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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