Aeshna canadensis (Canada darner) dragonfly phenology and migration in Minnesota and Canada, 2017-2019

The purpose of this dataset was to investigate whether Aeshna canadensis (Canada darner) is a migratory dragonfly species by combining phenological observations with a dragonfly wing stable hydrogen isotope isoscape analysis. Phenological data were collected from three study ponds (Washington County; 45.17°N, -92.84°W) in the St. Croix River Valley in central Minnesota. We collected emerging teneral dragonflies from May - October and observed adult flight behavior. We also collected adult dragonflies on the wing. Additionally, adult Canada darners were collected in northern Minnesota (Itasca State Park and the western shore of Lake Superior) and we accessed specimens in Canadian museum collections (Royal Ontario Museum and the Canadian National Collection of Insects and Arachnids). We conducted probabilistic assignment to natal origins by measuring stable hydrogen isotope values of wing tissue (δ2Hw) of collected dragonflies. These analyses were done at the Center for Stable Isotopes, University of New Mexico and at the Laboratory for Stable Isotope Science – Advanced Facility for Avian Research.