The Stygian Shadowdragon is a medium sized brown and yellow dragonfly with black and amber patches at the base of the wings. Unlike most other species of dragonflies the Stygian Shadowdragon is mostly active at dusk and dawn and will even fly into the night
The term Stygian is a reference to the River Styx which the ancient Greeks believed flowed into the land of the dead. Today, Stygian is often used as another word for darkness. This is an appropriate name, in this case, as the Stygian Shadowdragon spends most of the day resting in dense shade, coming out just before dusk, to mate and feed, and typically flying into the night
Large lakes and rivers with a lot of wave motion and little shoreline vegetation. Often found around rapids or waterfalls
Mating takes place in the tree tops. Females oviposit alone at dusk, flying low and fast over the surface of the water frequently dipping their abdomen
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Range maps and checklists courtesy of Odonata Central. Copyright © 2016 OdonataCentral. All Rights Reserved. Abbott, J.C. 2006-2018. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at www.odonatacentral.org.