Green darner dragonfly

The green darner is a big, fast dragonfly that zips through the air on four clear wings. It is one of the most common dragonflies in all of North America, and it also flies far to the south, all the way down to Panama. A grown-up darner is about as long as your finger, and its wings can spread nearly as wide as your whole hand.

It is easy to see why people love this insect. A grown-up male has a shiny green chest and body with a bright blue tail, while the females and young ones are more reddish-brown. Both of them have a funny dark mark right on the face that looks a little like a bull's-eye.

Green darners begin their lives underwater. A mother lays her eggs in plants in a pond or slow stream, and out hatch baby dragonflies called nymphs. The nymphs are fierce little hunters, gobbling up water insects, tadpoles, and even small fish as they grow.

When a nymph is ready, it climbs out of the water and turns into a flying adult. Grown-up darners are wonderful fliers and catch other insects right out of the air, snapping up flies, wasps, and butterflies as they go. You can spot them darting over ponds, but they are strong enough to travel over meadows, forests, and even towns.

Green darners are doing well, and experts list them as "least concern" with a steady number of them around. The best way to help is to keep ponds, lakes, and wetlands clean and full of life, so there are always safe places for the nymphs to grow.