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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Uncommon across southern B.C., but common in some coastal localities. Develops in warm marshes and ponds at low elevations. Southern Canada appears to have two populations — one seems to migrate north in the spring and lays eggs, their offspring developing rapidly and flying south in August and September; the other population is resident all year round, the adults taking flight in June and July.
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