Nasiaeschna

Nasiaeschna
Temporal range:
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Family: Aeshnidae
Genus: Nasiaeschna
Selys in Förster, 1900
Species:
N. pentacantha
Binomial name
Nasiaeschna pentacantha
(Rambur, 1842)

Nasiaeschna pentacantha, the Cyrano darner, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae, and the only extant species in the genus Nasiaeschna. It is native to eastern North America.[2][3][4][5][6] A single fossil species, †Nasiaeschna miocenica Claisse, Brisac & Nel, 2019, is known from the Late Miocene of France, suggesting they persisted in Europe up until relatively recently.[7]

Description

The cyrano darner is a stocky greenish dragonfly. It has blue eyes and a large, projecting frons. The thorax is brown with characteristic green stripes on the front and sides. The abdomen has longitudinal brown and green stripes and tapers along its length.[8]

Lateral view
Dorsal view
Nymph

Nymph development spans 15 instars, reaching a length of approximately 40 millimetres (1.6 in). Nymphs are mostly dark brown, with some abdominal segments paler. Nasiaeschna pentacantha eggs are pale yellow, measuring approximately 0.3 millimetres (0.012 in) by 1.5 millimetres (0.059 in).[9]

Etymology

The genus name Nasiaeschna is the combination of "nose" and Aeshna, referring to the projection of the frons in this species. The specific epithet pentacantha ("five-spined") refers to the patches of spines under the tip of the female's abdomen.[10]

The common name "cyrano darner" is similarly based on the facial projection, alluding to the large nose of Cyrano de Bergerac.[10]

Behavior

A dragonfly perched on nearly submerged log. The wood is wet and has been in the water for some time. The dragonfly's abdomen is arching down to meet the wood surface.
A cyrano darner ovipositing.

The cyrano darner flies regular beats about waist- to head-height over open water or forest clearings with wings continuously fluttering. The abdomen is often slightly arched in flight. They pluck prey (including other Odonates) from vegetation and carry it to a perch to eat.[8]

Females oviposit on sodden logs or stumps at the water's edge.[8] This species is documented to complete one generation every year.[11]

This species is quite territorial, making it unusual to see more than one at a time.[12]

Distribution

The cyrano darner is found throughout the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.[8]

Habitat

The cyrano darner inhabits standing and slow-moving water such as swampy pools, forested ponds, and canals. A wooded or shrubby border around the water may be necessary.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Paulson, D.R. (2017). "Nasiaeschna pentacantha". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T164988A65824000. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T164988A65824000.en. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  2. ↑ "Nasiaeschna Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  3. ↑ "Nasiaeschna". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  4. ↑ "Odonata Central". Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  5. ↑ "World Odonata List". Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound. 2018. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  6. ↑ Claisse, Penelope; Brisac, Patrick; Nel, André (2019-06-24). "The first fossil representative of the Nearctic genus Nasiaeschna in France (Odonata: Aeshnidae)". Palaeoentomology. 2 (3): 219–222. doi:10.11646/palaeoentomology.2.3.4. ISSN 2624-2834.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Paulson, Dennis (2011). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East. Princeton Field Guides.
  8. ↑ Dunkle, S. W. (1985). "Larval growth in Nasiaeschna pentacantha (Rambur)(Anisoptera: Aeshnidae)". Odonatologica. 14 (1): 29–35.
  9. 1 2 Paulson, Dennis R.; Dunkle, Sidney W.; Johnson, Jim T. (2024). A Checklist of North American Odonata (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  10. ↑ Corbet, Philip S.; Suhling, Frank; Soendgerath, Dagmar (2006). "Voltinism of Odonata: a review". International Journal of Odonatology. 9 (1): 1–44. doi:10.1080/13887890.2006.9748261.
  11. ↑ LeGrand, Harry E.; Howard, Thomas E.; Petranka, John; Shields, Mark A. (2025). "The Odonata of North Carolina, Part 2: Anisoptera". Bulletin of American Odonatology. 14 (3): 79–167.

Further reading

  • Silsby, Jill (2001). Dragonflies of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 978-1560989592.
  • Steinmann, Henrik (1997). Wermuth, Heinz; Fischer, Maximilian (eds.). World Catalogue of Odonata, Volume II: Anisoptera. Das Tierreich. Vol. 111. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-014934-0.
  • Needham, James G.; Westfall Jr., Minter J. Jr.; May, Michael L. (2000). Dragonflies of North America. Scientific Publishers. ISBN 978-0-945417-94-1.
  • Kalkman, V. J. (2013). Studies on phylogeny and biogeography of damselflies (Odonata) with emphasis on the Argiolestidae (PhD). Leiden University. hdl:1887/22953.
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Nasiaeschna at Wikimedia Commons
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