Bug FAQPaddle-tailed Darner
Aeshna palmata · Order: Odonata · Family: Aeshnidae
The paddle-tailed darner is common across western Canada and the United States. It is named for the paddle-shaped appendages on its abdomen. It lives near lakes, ponds and slow streams that have dense shoreline vegetation. The species was first described by Hermann Hagen in 1856.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its distinctive paddle-shaped appendages give it its common name.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers lakes, ponds and slow streams with dense shore vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It was first scientifically described in 1856 by Hermann Hagen.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is widespread in western Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, California, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Aeshnidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddle-tailed_darner
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.