Bug FAQBlue-spotted Hawker
Adversaeschna brevistyla · Order: Odonata · Family: Aeshnidae
Also called: Lancer Dragonfly
Its wings have pale orange edges that end at a reddish-brown pterostigma, and mature males have blue eyes while females have brown eyes.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
A pair of pale stripes runs along each side of the thorax. Two symmetrical bright-blue stripes appear at the base of the thorax. The fore-edges of the wings are pale orange, ending at a reddish-brown pterostigma. Mature males have blue eyes; females have brown eyes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It may be found near ponds, marshes and other still water, as well as vegetation far from water. It prefers still water but can also occur along calm streams.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where does the blue-spotted hawker live?
It lives near ponds, marshes, calm streams and other still water, and can also be found in vegetation away from water.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Aeshnidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-spotted_hawker
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.