Anax junius

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Physical Description

Habitat

Near ponds and slow streams . Adults hunt while airborne over sunny fields and meadows, preying on midges, mosquitoes, Caddisflies and other flying insects. Naiads feed on tadpoles , small fish, and aquatic insects.

Typically found in a lake at a mean distance from sea level of 621 meters (2,037 feet).[1]

Ecology: A. junius is found at lakes and all but the smallest ponds , also slow streams . Because of migratory nature, it is liable to be seen anywhere at or away from water. It has a relatively rare breeding strategy: large proportion of populations in most areas are migratory. Mature adults move north in spring throughout North America, they appear before any can be found emerging. These individuals breed , their larvae develop during summer, and their offspring emerge in late summer, then they fly south in immature colours . At times migrants are seen in large numbers, especially on Atlantic coast but also in the Great Lakes. Occasionally found far out at sea off southern California in fall , commonly seen from oil platforms in Gulf of Mexico. These individuals presumably breed somewhere in Mexico and the Caribbean, probably also in far southern United States, their larvae developing during winter and their offspring moving north in spring. This scenario is speculative but with strong circumstantial evidence. Fewer individuals in same regions are more like other dragonflies, emerging in spring from larvae that overwintered locally.[2].

List of Habitats :

• 1 Forest
• 1.4 Forest - Temperate
• 3 Shrubland
• 3.4 Shrubland - Temperate
• 4 Grassland
• 4.4 Grassland - Temperate
• 5 Wetlands (inland)
• 5.3 Wetlands (inland) - Shrub Dominated Wetlands
• 5.5 Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)
• 5.6 Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)
• 5.7 Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)
• 5.8 Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)
• 15 Artificial/Aquatic and Marine
• 15.2 Artificial/Aquatic - Ponds (below 8ha)
• 15.3 Artificial/Aquatic - Aquaculture Ponds
• 15.8 Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land
• 15.9 Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels , Ditches

Biology

Reproduction

Female inserts eggs singly into slits cut in stem of submerged plants . When fully grown, naiads crawl from the water to transform into adults . The green darner is commonly known as the "Darning Needle" or "Snake Doctor."

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Gomphus junius (Drury

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 04-Aug-2008

Similar Species

Members of the genus Anax

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 14 species and subspecies in this genus:

A. bangweuluensis (Swamp Emperor) · A. chloromelas (Dark Emperor) · A. concolor (Blue-Spotted Comet Darner) · A. ephippiger (Vagrant Emperor) · A. immaculifrons (Magnificent Emperor) · A. imperator (Blue Emperor) · A. junius (Common Green Darner) · A. longipes (Comet Darner) · A. nigrofasciatus (Blue-Spotted Emperor) · A. parthenope (Lesser Emperor) · A. speratus (Orange Emperor) · A. strenuus (Hawaiian Darner) · A. tristis (Black Emperor) · A. walsinghami (Giant Green Darner)

More Info

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Further Reading

• A biological survey of the waters of Woods Hole and vicinity / By Francis B. Sumner, Raymond C. Osburn, and Leon J. Cole. Washington: Govt. Print. Off., 1913 url p. 676, p. 836.
• A catalogue and bibliography of the Odonata (dragon-flies) of Maine, with an annotated list of their collectors, by Frances LeRoy Harvey. Orono, Me., 1902. url p. 8.
• A naturalist in the Great Lakes region, by Elliot Rowland Downing. .. Chicago, Ill., The University of Chicago Press[c1922] url , , p. 185, p. 239.
• A nature wooing at Ormond by the sea, by W.S. Blatchley. .. Indianapolis: The Nature publishing company, 1902. url p. 135, p. 214, p. 30.
• Acta Societatis pro Fauna et Flora Fennica. 28 1906 Helsinki: Societas, 1875-1980. url p. 94.
• Alaska / Harriman Alaska Expedition. New York: Doubleday, Page, 1901-1910. url p. 146, p. 153, p. 229.
• Alaska. New York, Doubleday, Page & company, 1901- url p. 153.
• American insects, by Vernon L. Kellogg. .. with many original illustrations by Mary Wellman. New York, H. Holt and Company, 1908. url p. 670, p. 83, p. 93.
• American insects, ill. by Mary Wellman. New York, Holt, 1914. url p. 670, p. 83, p. 93.
• An introduction to entomology / by John Henry Comstock; illustrations by Anna Botsford Comstock. Ithaca, N.Y.: J.S. Comstock, 1888. url p. 74.
• Animal communities in temperate America, Chicago, Ill., Pub. by the University of Chicago press[c1913] url p. 132.
• Annual report of the New Jersey state museum. 1901-12, 1914. Trenton, New Jersey. [etc.]1902-15. url p. 78.
• Applied entomology; an introductory text-book of insects in their relations to man, by H.T. Fernald. .. New York [etc.]McGraw-Hill Book Company, inc., 1921. url p. 69.
• Bibliography of the more important contributions to American economic entomology. Washington: Govt. print. off., 1889-1905. url p. 258.
• Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries. Washington, D.C.: Govt. Print. Off., 1905-1950. url p. 251.
• Dragon flies vs. mosquitoes. Can the mosquito pest be mitigated? Studies in the life history of irritating insects, their natural enemies, and artificial checks, by working etomologists. With an introduction by Robert H. Lamborn, PH. D. New York, D. Appleton and company, 1890. url .
• Elementary entomology, Boston, Ginn and company[c1912] url p. 99.
• Entomological news, and proceedings of the Entomological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Philadelphia[Entomological Rooms of the Academy of Natural Sciences] url , p. 100, p. 12, p. 136, p. 139, p. 152, p. 179, p. 180, p. 186, p. 200, p. 217, p. 226, p. 228, p. 244, p. 274, p. 287, p. 320, p. 335, p. 358, p. 360, p. 367, p. 37, p. 382, p. 39, p. 439, p. 449, p. 73, p. 84, p. 9.
• Entomological news. [Philadelphia]American Entomological Society, 1925- url , , , , p. 11, p. 115, p. 115, p. 116, p. 122, p. 127, p. 14, p. 165, p. 174, p. 185, p. 188, p. 202, p. 204, p. 213, p. 214, p. 215, p. 231, p. 235, p. 236, p. 276, p. 293, p. 296, p. 298, p. 40, p. 45, p. 52, p. 53, p. 62.
• Final report of the state geologist. Trenton, N.J.: The Survey, 1888- url p. 457.
• General biology, a book of outlines and practical studies for the general student. Ithaca, Comstock, 1914. url p. 413, p. 535.
• Harriman Alaska series. City of Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1910-1914. url p. 146, p. 153, p. 229.
• Harriman Alaska series. vol. I-V, VIII-XIV Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution, 1910-14 url p. 146, p. 153, p. 229.
• Illustrated catalogue of the Museum of Comparative Zology, at Harvard College / published by order of the Legislature of Massachusetts. Cambridge: Museum of Comparative Zoology, 1865-1875. url p. 15.
• Index to publications of the New York State Natural History Survey and New York State Museum, 1837-1902; also including other New York publications on related subjects. Albany: University of the State of New York, 1903. url p. 444.
• Lake Maxinkuckee. A physical and biological survey by Barton Warren Evermann and Howard Walton Clark. [Indianapolis]Dept. of Conservation, State of Indiana [Wm. B. Burford, printer]1920. url p. 24.
• Lake Maxinkuckee. a physical and biological survey by Barton Warren Evermann and Howard Walton Clark. [Indianapolis, Wm. B. Burford, printer]1920. url p. 25.
• Lake Maxinkuckee: a physical and biological survey / by Barton Warren Evermann and Howard Walton Clark. Indianapolis: Dept. of Conservation, 1920. url p. 24, p. 25, p. 457.
• May flies and midges of New York. Third report on aquatic insects. A study conducted at the entomologic field station, Ithaca, N.Y., under the direction of Ephraim Porter Felt. By James G. Needham, Kenneth J. Morton [and] O.A. Johannsen. Albany, New York State Education Dept., 1905. url p. 14.
• Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco, The Academy. url p. 509.
• Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. Washington, etc.: Entomological Society of Washington url p. 303.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 194, p. 333, p. 336, p. 343, p. 594, p. 596, p. 599, p. 603, p. 607, p. 610, p. 612, p. 622, p. 626, p. 627, p. 629, p. 633, p. 655, p. 656, p. 658, p. 659, p. 661, p. 662, p. 663, p. 666.
• Proceedings of the Washington Academy of Sciences. Washington, Washington Academy of Sciences. url p. 223, p. 223, p. 463.
• Studies on chromosomes / by Edmund B. Wilson. Baltimore, Md.: ]s.n.], 1905-1912. url , p. 200, p. 364, p. 428.
• Synopsis of the neuroptera of North America. With a list of the South American species. Prepared for the Smithsonian institution by Hermann Hagen. Washington, Smithsonian institution, 1861. url p. 118, p. 118.
• The American journal of anatomy. Baltimore, MD: [s.n.], 1902-1991. url p. 469.
• The Biological bulletin. Woods Hole, Mass.: Marine Biological Laboratory, url p. 103, p. 121, p. 164, p. 178, p. 187, p. 232, p. 274, p. 278, p. 287, p. 287, p. 290, p. 291, p. 293, p. 295, p. 296, p. 361, p. 392, p. 56, p. 64, p. 68, p. 75.
• The crane-flies of New York. Part II. Biology and phylogeny, by Charles Paul Alexander. Ithaca, 1920 url p. 727.
• The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. New York, A.L. Burt[1874] url p. 328.
• The immature state of the Odonata. .. / by Louis Cabot. 8 1881 Cambridge [Mass.]: Printed for the Museum, 1872-1890. url p. 15.
• The insect book: a popular account of the bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, flies, and other North American insects exclusive of the butterflies, moths and beetles, with full life histories, tables and bibliographies / by Leland O. Howard. Garden City: Doubleday, 1916. url , p. 374, p. 417.
• The life of inland waters; an elementary text book of fresh-water biology for students, by James G. Needham and J. T. Lloyd. Ithaca, New York, Comstock Publishing Co., 1937. url p. 389.
• The natural history of the Toronto region, Ontario, Canada / edited by J.H. Faull. Toronto: Canadian Institute, 1913. url p. 305.
• The natural history of the farm: a guide to the practical study of the sources of our living in wild nature / by James G. Needham. New York: Comstock Publishing Co.[c1914] url p. 333.
• The relation of shellfish to fish in Oneida Lake, New York. Syracuse, N.Y., 1918 url p. 24.
• The spermatogenesis of Lepisma domestica, by Harry H. Charlton. .. Philadelphia, 1921 url p. 409.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 03, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 3 providers.
• IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.
• Marlin, Bruce. CirrusImage.com.
• Odonata: Catalogue of the Odonata of the World. Release date: August 1, 2008
• Paulson, D. R. 2009. Anax junius. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 30January2012.
• Pippen, Jeffrey S. Jeff's Nature Page. Accessed December 5, 2007.
• Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 03, 2008:

• Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics
• Illinois Natural History Survey
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: A Biological Survey of the Waters of Woods Hole and Vacinity

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 1
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Odo-3352
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 4490920
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 101598
• IUCN ID: 190965
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IIODO15020
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 15322

Footnotes

1. Standard Deviation = 1,268.980 based on 52 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
2. Paulson, D. R. 2009. Anax junius. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 30 January 2012. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.