| Southern hawker | |
|---|---|
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| Male, Germany | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
| Family: | Aeshnidae |
| Genus: | Aeshna |
| Species: | A. cyanea |
| Binomial name | |
| Aeshna cyanea (Müller, 1764) | |
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| Range of Aeshna cyanea | |
| Synonyms | |
The southern hawker or blue hawker (Aeshna cyanea) is a species of hawker dragonfly. [2] [3]
The species is one of the most common and most widespread dragonflies in Europe. The range in the Western Palearctic covers a large part of Europe, to Scotland and southern Scandinavia in the north and to Italy (without the southwest) and the northern Balkans in the south); the eastern boundary is formed by the Urals and the western by Ireland. It is also found in northwest Africa (Algeria). In Central Europe the species is very common. [4]
These dragonflies mainly inhabit well-vegetated, small ponds and garden ponds, but they wander widely, and they are often seen in gardens and open woodland. [5]
Aeshna cyanea can reach a body length of about 70 millimetres (2.8 in), [5] with a wingspan up to 110 millimetres (4.3 in). [6] It is a large, brightly coloured dragonfly, with a long body. The thorax is brown, with two ante-humeral wide green longitudinal stripes. On the forehead there is a black spot in the form of the letter T. The wings are hyaline with a dark pterostigma. The leading edge of the wings is dark.
Males have a dark abdomen with bright apple green markings, except for the last segments S8-10 of the abdomen, where the markings are pale blue and joined. In the females, the abdomen is brownish with bright green markings. [5] The eyes of the males have a gradient, fading from green on the bottom to blue or greenish-blue at the top, while in the females they are yellowish green or brownish.
Flight period of these insects lasts from June to October, with some specimen visible in May and November. [5] The adults of the southern hawker feed on various insects, caught on the wing. This is an inquisitive species and will approach people. [5]
These dragonflies breed in still or slow-flowing water. The males are often seen patrolling by a ponds edge or river, where they fight away intruders, crashing into rival males and spiralling through the air. The females are quite inconspicuous when they lay their eggs, but they sometimes give away their spot by clattering up from the reeds.
The eggs are laid by jabbing the abdomen into rotting vegetation or wood. The eggs hatch in the spring, after being laid in the previous summer or autumn. The nymphs feed on aquatic insects, small tadpoles, invertebrates and small fish. They emerge as adults in July and August after two to three years’ development.
While looking quite imposing with its relatively large size and voracious appetite for other insects, the Southern Hawker is completely harmless to humans. Dragonflies sometimes are observed where the Cercus at the end of their abdomen are mistaken for claws or a stinger, however Dragonflies do not have the ability to sting. Southern Hawkers, especially the males, are very active fliers and can also be quite inquisitive. Southern Hawkers can be observed flying hundreds of meters away from their natural habitat flying around open fields, parks, hiking trails, or populated streets, even sometimes flying close to humans, however they generally shy away from getting very close and do not attack humans in any way, unlike wasps or hornets when they feel threatened.
Aeshna isoceles is a small hawker dragonfly that is found in Europe, mostly around the Mediterranean, and the lowlands of North Africa. Its common name in English is green-eyed hawker. In Britain it is a rare and local species and is known as the Norfolk hawker. It has a brown colour with green eyes and clear wings and also a yellow triangular mark on the second abdominal segment which gave rise to its scientific name. It used to be in the genus Anaciaeschna as it has several differences from the other members of the genus Aeshna. Its specific name is often spelt isosceles.
The black-tailed skimmer is a dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae.
The migrant hawker is one of the smaller species of hawker dragonflies. It can be found away from water but for breeding it prefers still or slow-flowing water and can tolerate brackish sites. The flight period is from July to the end of October. A. mixta occurs in North Africa, southern and central Europe to the Baltic region.
The emperor dragonfly or blue emperor is a large species of hawker dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae. It is the bulkiest dragonfly in most of Europe, including the United Kingdom, although exceeded by the magnificent emperor and in length by females of the golden-ringed dragonfly.
The common darter is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae native to Eurasia. It is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe, occurring in a wide variety of water bodies, though with a preference for breeding in still water such as ponds and lakes. In the south of its range adults are on the wing all year round.
The common hawker, moorland hawker or sedge darner is one of the larger species of hawker dragonflies. It is native to Palearctic and northern North America. The flight period is from June to early October.
The blue-eyed darner 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. In Central America it occurs south to Panama. This is usually the second earliest darner to emerge in the spring, with the California darner emerging first. It hunts small flying insects while on the wing.
Erythemis simplicicollis, the eastern pondhawk, also known as the common pondhawk, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to the eastern two-thirds of the United States and southern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is a dragonfly of ponds and still waters. The species is distinguished in that the female is bright green with a banded abdomen and the mature male has a blue abdomen with a green face and green and blue thorax.
Brachytron is a monotypic genus of European dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae containing the hairy dragonfly, also known as the hairy hawker or spring hawker.
The white-legged damselfly or blue featherleg is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range.
The blue-spotted hawker is the only known species of dragonfly of the genus Adversaeschna in the family Aeshnidae.
Sympetrum vicinum, the Yellow-Legged Meadowhawk is one of some fifteen North American species of autumn meadowhawk, which are members of the Odonate family Libellulidae. It grows to 26–35 mm long.
The band-winged meadowhawk is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum belonging to the family Libellulidae.
Aeshna affinis, the southern migrant hawker or blue-eyed hawker, is a dragonfly found in southern Europe and Asia. It is in the family Aeshnidae and is very similar in appearance to A. mixta.
Eastern forktail is a member of the damselfly family Coenagrionidae.
The shadow darner is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is found in almost all of Canada and most states in the United States.
The Hudsonian whiteface is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common name comes from where it is found, Hudson Bay.
Lestes sponsa is a damselfly with a wide Palaearctic distribution. It is known commonly as the emerald damselfly or common spreadwing. Both males and females have a metallic green colour and brown wing spots. It resides near pools with aquatic plants. When resting its wings are usually half opened.
Chalcolestes viridis, formerly Lestes viridis, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name is the willow emerald damselfly, the green emerald damselfly, or the western willow spreadwing. It has an elongated abdomen and pale brown spots on its wings and resides in areas of still water with overhanging trees.
Aeshna canadensis, the Canada darner, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is common throughout southern Canada and the northern United States.
Data related to Aeshna cyanea at Wikispecies
Media related to Aeshna cyanea at Wikimedia Commons
