94/150: O Canada Darner!

Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Odonata: Aeshnidae: Aeshna: Aeshna canadensis Walker, 1908

A real Canadian dragonfly, the Canada darner Aeshna canadensis is native to all ten Canadian provinces. Ranging from a brilliant blue to a rich brown in colour, Canada darner males are usually seen hovering near edges of boggy freshwater habitats, whereas the milder coloured females (who can come in blue, green or yellow) tend to be seen near forested areas or fields. Dragonflies are not just a beautiful sight to be seen. In fact, the presence of dragonflies near a beaver pond or lake – alongside the presence of damselflies and mayflies – is an indicator of a healthy and biodiverse aquatic ecosystem! Not only that, but dragonflies are very sensitive to global climate change – which means that by observing changes in their populations it can indicate changes in climate. Keep an eye out for these important insects on your next hike and see if you are passing by a healthy ecosystem, or one that may be affected strongly by changing temperatures. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: ODSO720-08

nucleotide sequence

AACACTTTATTTTTTATTTGGGGCATGATCAGGAATAGTAGGAACTGCTTTAAGAGTTCTAATTCGAATTGAATTAGGACAACCAGGATCATTAATTGGAGATGATCAAATTTATAATGTAATTGTAACAGCACATGCTTTTGTTATAATTTTCTTTATAGTGATACCTATTATAATTGGAGGATTCGGGAATTGGTTAGTACCACTAATATTAGGAGCTCCTGATATAGCTTTCCCACGTTTAAATAATATAAGATTTTGATTGTTACCTCCTTCATTAACACTATTATTAGCAGGAAGTATGGTTGAAAGAGGAGCCGGAACAGGTTGAACTGTATATCCACCTCTAGCTGGTGCAATTGCTCATGCAGGAGCATCAGTAGATTTAACTATTTTTTCTTTACATCTGGCTGGAGTATCTTCAATTTTAGGGGCTATTAATTTTATTACTACAACAATTAATATAAAGTCACCAGGAATAAAGATAGATCAAATACCTCTTTTTGTATGAGCTGTTGTAATTACAGCTGTACTTTTATTACTTTCTTTACCAGTTCTTGCTGGAGCAATTACTATACTCTTAACAGATCGAAATATTAATACATCATTTTTTGATCCAGCAGGAGGAGGAGATCCTATTTTATATCAACACTTATTC

amino acid sequence

TLYFLFGAWSGMVGTALSVLIRIELGQPGSLIGDDQIYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLVPLMLGAPDMAFPRLNNMSFWLLPPSLTLLLAGSMVESGAGTGWTVYPPLAGAIAHAGASVDLTIFSLHLAGVSSILGAINFITTTINMKSPGMKMDQMPLFVWAVVITAVLLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNINTSFFDPAGGGDPILYQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:ABU7323

Title Image: Specimen ODSO720-08 – Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba – 12-Aug-2008
Photo Credit: CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics