- "I caught a red dragonfly! Wonder if it breathes fire..." —New Leaf
The red dragonfly (アキアカネ, Akiakane?) is a common bug in the dragonfly family. They appear alone in all games except Animal Crossing, where they often appear in groups of five. It is restricted to autumn months.
Donating to the museum
Like all bugs, the red dragonfly can be donated to the Museum.
In Animal Crossing
Upon donation, Blathers will comment:
"player, have you ever peered closely into a dragonfly's eyes? Blech! Ghastly, really. Hoo, but I digress..."
In Wild World
Upon donation, Blathers will comment:
"Ever looked into the eyes of a red dragonfly, or any dragonfly, for that matter? They've "compound eyes," where multiple eyeballs are stuck together, wot! Just think of all those beady little eyes on you! Blech! How very vile... To be honest, bugs with only TWO eyes make me gag."
In City Folk
Upon donation, Blathers will comment:
"Since red dragonflies can't regulate their body temperatures, they only come out in the fall. They actually perish when the heat climbs over 86 degrees Fahrenheit. No summer fun for them, wot?"
The Red Dragonfly can be seen in the lower tier of the bug exhibit, flying around the small pool of water in the area closest to the entrance.
In New Leaf
In New Leaf, a sign in the bug exhibit will provide more information on the species.
"Red dragonflies are seen in the fall, as they're rather sensitive to the heat of summer. They stay in the mountains during the summer and come down to the plains in cooler weather. The males' bodies turn red when they're mature, but their heads and thoraxes are brownish. The females have a more yellowish color and aren't as red as the males, making them easy to tell apart."
Capture quotes
- "I caught a red dragonfly! I wonder if it can breathe fire..." —Animal Crossing
- "アキアカネだ! ゆうやけ こやけの ア力ネいろ!" —Animal Forest
- "I caught a red dragonfly! It's the color of sunset!" —Wild World
- "I caught a red dragonfly! It's magic!" —City Folk
Encyclopedia information
Wild World
Bug
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"In the summer, they flit around the mountains, but in the fall they come back to ground level. Like leaves, they turn redder in the fall." | |
| Size | 38 mm | |
| Time | Evening | |
| Season | Fall | |
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City Folk
Bug
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New Leaf
Bug
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Gallery
.jpg "Red dragonfly (PG).jpg (47 KB)")
Further information
This dragonfly is known as the Autumn Darter in English. It has a very profound seasonal migration throughout various habitats. In the summer it usually stays high in the mountains, but near winter it descends to lower elevations. This dragonfly is noted for congregating in large numbers along streams, which is referenced in the original Animal Crossing where it occurs in groups of five. Unlike in the Animal Crossing series, in real life they start appearing from July onwards, but are not common until it cools down around August and September.
