Large, swift-flying dragonflies, usually marked with blue, green or yellow. Adults hunt tirelessly for insects over ponds, lakes and streams, and wander widely in search of prey. Most species rest in a vertical position, but a few sit flat on the ground. Females have a prominent ovipositor and lay eggs in water plants or floating wood above or below the water line. Larvae are slender and sleek, with flat labia lacking bristles; they are rapacious hunters among water plants. Recently, A. californica and A. multicolor have been transferred from Aeshna to Rhionaeschna.
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Rare at small ponds and open, warm, nutrient-rich marshes dominated by cattails and bulrushes; sometimes develops in waters that dry up in summer. Its preference for habitats that are often threatened by human development make it vulnerable. Female Lance-tipped Darners, like their Black-tipped counterparts, lay eggs in vegetation well above the waterline.
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