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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Common around ponds, lakes and marshes at low and medium elevations. For a darner, remarkable for its springtime flight season. At the most southerly locations, it may appear in April, with the earliest dragonflies; by early August it is uncommon, just when many darners are reaching their peak abundance.
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