Dragonflies in Minnesota

There are around 109 dragonfly species in Minnesota. Some of the largest are the lake and common green darners with lengths of around 3-inches. The smallest in the state is the Elfin skimmer of just 0.8-inch length. Various types of dragonflies, like darners, clubtails, cruisers, emeralds, and skimmers live here.

Dragonflies come out in Minnesota from late May to the end of June. The pictures help in identifying the insects.

Dragonflies in Minnesota (MN)

Types of Dragonflies in Minnesota

  • American emerald
  • Band-winged Meadowhawk
  • Belted Whiteface
  • Black-tipped Darner
  • Chalk-fronted Corporal
  • Cherry-faced Meadowhawk
  • Common Baskettail
  • Common Green Darner
  • Common Whitetail
  • Dot-tailed Whiteface
  • Eastern Pondhawk
  • Four-spotted Skimmer
  • Green-striped Darner
  • Halloween Pennant
  • Illinois River Cruiser
  • Lance-tipped Darner
  • Midland Clubtail
  • Plains Clubtail
  • Racket-tailed Emerald
  • Red Saddlebags
  • Shadow Darner
  • Springtime Darner
  • Twelve-spotted Skimmer
  • Variegated Meadowhawk
  • White-faced Meadowhawk
  • Widow Skimmer
  • Autumn Meadowhawk
  • Black Meadowhawk      
  • Black Saddlebags
  • Blue Dasher                      
  • Boreal Whiteface
  • Calico Pennant
  • Canada Darner
  • Crimson-ringed Whiteface
  • Eastern Amberwing                                      
  • Eastern Band-winged Meadowhawk                    
  • Elfin Skimmer   
  • Extra-striped Snaketail
  • Fawn Darner                    
  • Forcipate Emerald          
  • Frosted Whiteface
  • Green-faced Clubtail                                     
  • Hine’s Emerald
  • Hudsonian Whiteface
  • Lake Darner
  • Lilypad Clubtail
  • Mustached Clubtail
  • Ocellated Darner
  • Plains Clubtail
  • Pronghorn Clubtail
  • Pygmy Snaketail
  • Quebec Emerald
  • Rapids Clubtail
  • Ruby Meadowhawk
  • Saffron-winged Meadowhawk
  • St. Croix Snaketail
  • Spiny Baskettail
  • Splendid Clubtail
  • Spot-winged Glider
  • Springtime Darner
  • Subarctic Darner
  • Variable Darner
  • Wandering Glider
  • Western Meadowhawk
  • Zigzag Darner