Medium-sized dragonflies most often seen around lakes, boggy streams and peatlands in the mountains or in the north. Of 16 species in our region, 13 have Northern or Beringian ranges. The eyes, often brilliant green, meet broadly on top of the head. The shape of the anal loop in the hindwing is distinctive. Adults seldom perch during feeding and males frequently hover when patrolling for mates; when resting, they normally hang vertically or obliquely from vegetation. In flight, a male frequently arches its abdomen, which is often narrower at the base and tip. Larvae are usually squat and rather hairy; they sprawl in the mud and detritus in the bottom of the waters where they live.
| A northerner, becoming scarcer in the southern parts of its range, where it lives at higher elevations. Usually flies with the Zigzag Darner, but rarer than the darner, at least in the south. Can be common in the right habitat. Prefers shallow, moss-bottomed bogs and fens evenly vegetated with sedges and horsetails; in these habitats, open patches of water are usually not visible from a distance. Males hover frequently, pivoting while stationary.
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