Common NameVariable DarnerSeasonalityJune to October in British Columbia (Paulson, 2009).IdentificationHalf blue and half yellow stripes on lateral sides of thorax narrow or broken into spots as the scientific name suggests (see lateral image).Most other congeneric species (e.g. A. eremita and A. juncea) have more prominent and unbroken thoracic stripes (Paulson, 2009).
Scientific NameAeshna interruptaCommon Name
Variable Darner
Seasonality
June to October in British Columbia (Paulson, 2009).
Identification
Half blue and half yellow stripes on lateral sides of thorax narrow or broken into spots as the scientific name suggests (see lateral image).Most other congeneric species (e.g. A. eremita and A. juncea) have more…
Half blue and half yellow stripes on lateral sides of thorax narrow or broken into spots as the scientific name suggests (see lateral image).Most other congeneric species (e.g. A. eremita and A. juncea) have more prominent and unbroken thoracic stripes (Paulson, 2009).
Life History
Females oviposit on floating vegetation. Nymphs are aquatic predators among vegetation. Adults are terrestrial and hunt insects in flight (Cannings, 2002). Adults are capable of migrating in large numbers across long…
Females oviposit on floating vegetation. Nymphs are aquatic predators among vegetation. Adults are terrestrial and hunt insects in flight (Cannings, 2002). Adults are capable of migrating in large numbers across long distances (Catling and Kostiuk, 2008).
Conservation
Common (Paulson, 2009).
Diet Info
Both adults and nymphs are predatory (Cannings, 2002).
Range
Spans southern Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland. Found as far south as Minnesota and New Jersey (Paulson, 2009).
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Citation
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Page Citation for Aeshna interrupta
Page Citation
"Species Details - Aeshna interrupta, Freshwater Invertebrate Collection." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/5-22096. Accessed 02 Apr. 2025.
References
AuthorHutchings, G. and Halstead, D.
TitleDragonflies & Damselflies in the Hand: An Identification Guide to Boreal Forest Odonates in Saskatchewan and Adjacent Regions.
Publication Date2011
Pages158 pp
AuthorPaulson, D. R.
TitleDragonflies and Damselflies of the West.
Publication Date2009
Pages535 pp
AuthorCannings, R. A.
TitleIntroducing the dragonflies of British Columbia and the Yukon.
Publication Date2002
Pages96 pp
AuthorCatling, P. M. and Kostiuk, B.
TitleMassive road kill and migration of variable darners, Aeshna interrupta lineata, in southern Manitoba.
Publication Date2008
Series TitleArgia
Volume20
Pages4-5
Specimen Information
There are 8 specimens of this Species.
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8 results plotted on map in 5 markers. Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.