Anax junius
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The green darner or common green darner (Anax junius), after its resemblance to a darning needle, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. One of the most common and abundant species throughout North America, it also ranges south to Panama. It is well known for its great migration distance from the northern United States south into Texas and Mexico. It also occurs in the Caribbean, Tahiti, and Asia from Japan to mainland China. It is the official insect for the state of Washington in the United States.
The green darner is a large dragonfly; males grow to 8 cm (3.1 in) in length with a wingspan up to 10 cm (4 in). Females oviposit in aquatic vegetation, eggs laid beneath the water surface. Nymphs (naiads) are aquatic carnivores, feeding on insects, tadpoles, and small fish. Adult darners catch insects on the wing, including ant alates, moths, mosquitoes, and flies.
Dru Drury described this species as Libellula junius in 1773. There are not currently any recognized subspecies. Common green darners are commonly found throughout... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 14 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Green Darner sighting in Riding Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 58th most-seen of the 104 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Green Darner in Riding Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July, September and November–April, the lowest months. That is one of Riding Mountain National Park's wettest months, with about 70 mm of rain against 20 mm in February.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Green 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.
6th of 17
Of the 17 parks where we can rate Common Green Darner sightings, Riding Mountain National Park ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 20%), Padre Island National Seashore (United States, about 10%) and Redwood National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Aeshnidae
The closest relatives of the Common Green Darner that you can see in Riding Mountain National Park (family Aeshnidae, Darners) are Lake Darner (about 20%), Variable Darner (about 20%) and Canada Darner (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Green Darner is recorded against all the insects logged in Riding Mountain National Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
