Blue Dasher

NPS/Gordon Dietzman Introduction Male blue dashers are beautiful insects with their bright tails, green striped thoraxes and green eyes. They have favorite perches, usually twigs or stalks of grass or twigs leaning over the water. It is from these perches from which they pursue prey or chase other blue dashers. Watch Behavior Blue dashers are particularly fun to watch since they only fly short distances from their perches when pursuing prey or intruders. Watch them catch their insect prey and return to their perches to eat it. Male blue dashers protect their mate from other males when she is laying her eggs. He will fly just above her ready to chase off other males. Meanwhile, she flies across the surface of the water repeatedly and forcefully striking the tip of her tail against the water to deposit her eggs. Identification Key ID Features: 1.1-1.7" in length. Males have greenish thoraxes with black stripes, bluish-white tail. Amber spots in wing. Females are a non-descript brown. Present in Park: June through early September. Check the parking area around Pickerel Lake in Lilydale Regional Park. Other good spots include Coldwater Spring and Lake Rebecca Park in Hastings. MN. Habitat: Lakes and ponds.