This is a medium-sized dragonfly approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches or 25 to 37 mm in length. Males and females of this species look very different. Mature males have a white face, greenish-blue eyes, yellow and black striped thorax and a pale blue, slender abdomen tipped with black. The wings are clear and both sexes have black stigmas. Males have an amber spot at the base of the hindwing. Females have a stockier abdomen. Females and juveniles have light brown eyes, yellow and black thoracic stripes and dark abdomens with pairs of yellowish-white dashes down the top.
Blue Dashers are common around the Great Marsh and the stream in Fontenelle Forest throughout the summer.
Blue Dashers perch on the tips of twigs and tall plants. They make short sallies to capture insects and often return to the same perch. They often cool themselves by pointing the abdomen toward the sun (obelisking) to minimize the surface area heated. When egg-laying, females fly close to the surface of the water dipping the abdomen into the water. The male perches nearby to drive off rival males.
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