The endangered Spattterdock Darner (Aeshna mutata) is known for its bright cerulean blue eyes and thorasic stripes. It can grow to three inches in length with a wingspan of close to four inches. Spatterdocks first appear in late May and can be seen flying throughout the breeding season until early July. Feeding and breeding are both done on the wing, and interlocked pairs can often be seen flying high in air during coupling. Both the male and female will breed with more than one mate during a season. The eggs, sometimes in the hundreds, are laid on the stems of the Spatterdock plant or other emergent vegetation.
Favored habitats for this species are small and fragile wetlands which make it especially vulnerable to habitat loss through land development, pollution and other environmental factors. It ranges from the Great Lakes to New England, though has become extremely rare in some areas due to these factors.
Technique: Watercolor and colored pencil
Size" 16" X 12"