Springtime darner
Basiaeschna janata
The springtime darner is a small, bluish dragonfly. As its name says, it is one of the first darners to fly in the year. It is the only living species in its genus.
Lives in
North America, near streams, ponds and lakes
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Dragonflies do not sting and leave people alone.
What does it eat?
Like all dragonflies, it catches small flying insects in the air. Its young live in water and hunt there.
How fast is it?
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
Springtime darner about 40 km/h (25 mph)
A car driving in town about 50 km/h (31 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
It is the only living member of its genus.
2
A fossil cousin of it was found in rocks in Alaska, from a very warm time millions of years ago.
3
Scientists think its ancestors came to North America from Europe and Asia over an old land bridge.
you asked
Most asked questions about Springtime darner
?Why is it called the springtime darner?
Because it flies early in the year, in spring, before most other darners.
?Is the springtime darner dangerous?
No. Dragonflies do not sting and are harmless to people.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Basiaeschna janata
- Group
- Dragonflies and damselflies
- Family
- Aeshnidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Odonata > Aeshnidae
- Lives on
- North America
Where the facts come from
- Basiaeschna (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Mike Ostrowski. CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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