ADULT: Wingspan - 90mm. An early flying dragon whose main ID features are the hairy thorax, long thin pterostigma, the thin pale green antehumeral stripes and its small size. The males have paired blue pear-shaped spots along the abdomen whereas the females are pale yellow. LARVA: Found partially buried in plant debris and so making them difficult to find. The eyes are small and the labium long and somewhat waisted. BEHAVIOUR: Will only fly in good sunshine and soon disappears when the clouds thicken. Patrols and sees off other, larger species. HABITAT: Prefers clean bodies of water such as lakes, large ponds, fens, ditches etc. with lush surrounding vegetation. FLIGHT PERIOD: Relatively short from the middle of May to early July. STATUS: Locally common (especially down south). |
