Green-striped Darners Aeshna verticalis Montgomery County MD

video grab male Green-striped Darner in flight 22 OCT 2001

video grab male Green-striped Darner in flight 22 OCT 2001

video grab male Green-striped Darner

Green-stripped Darner--Aeshna verticalis, males in flight, 22 OCT 2001, McKee-Besher WMA, Montgomery Co. MD. Two males were patrolling a series of cattail fringed grassy ponds that MD DNR constructed a few years previously. I believe this is a first record of occurrence in this piedmont county. The species has a scattered and localized distribution in MD from the mountains to the upper coastal plain. Features separating this species from the similar Aeshna canadensis include: first lateral thoracic stripe greener, less constricted in the middle, with a more blunt trailing upper tip; last vertical stripe on segment 2 almost broken into two spots; and the black lower back corner of each abdominal segment from 4 outwards (posterior blue spot does not extend laterally downwards.) Identification is certain only in the hand however. See below. See fig. 47 in Needham, Westfall, and May.

In mid September 2002, I revisited the pond. It was dry and no darners were observed. On 30 September I returned after heavy rains. Water was 4 inches deep. One female Green-striped Darner was laying eggs. A pair were mating in the treetops nearby.

Above, female Green-striped Darner. At right male and female mating. Male's head at top, female upside down, head at lower right. Photos by Dave Czaplak

Artificial cattail pond habitat at McKee-Besher WMA. These ponds were constructed several years ago, but only recently developed extensive cattail growth. Since they dry out in some years, it is not clear that this is permanent Aeshna habitat. Many such ponds eventually become overgrown.

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