Aeshna multicolor) is a common dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae; native to the western United States, it is commonly sighted in the sagebrush steppe of the Snake River Plain, occurring east to the Midwest from central Canada and the Dakotas south to west Texas and Oklahoma.

When not breeding, it is more likely than most dragonflies to be seen far away from water, in city yards, parking lots and other urban locations.

It is on the wing from spring to late in the year and may be migratory in California, as a large number of them seem to appear in the fall.

[2] Males patrol at about waist height over open water, along the margins of water bodies and among dense vegetation, often having a regular "beat", and occasionally pausing briefly to hover.

Copulating couples spend some time finding a suitable location in which to perch, often high in waterside trees.