Southern Hawker

Taxobox
name = Southern Hawker


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
subphylum = Hexapoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Odonata
subordo = Anisoptera
familia = Aeshnidae
genus = "Aeshna"
species = "A. cyanea"
binomial = "Aeshna cyanea"
binomial_authority = (Muller, 1764)

The Southern Hawker ("Aeshna cyanea"), known as the Blue Darner in the Western Hemisphere, is a 70 mm long species of hawker dragonfly.

It is large, with a long body. It has green markings on the black bodies, and the male also has blue spots on the abdomen.

The Southern Hawker breeds in still or slow-flowing water, but will wander widely, and is often seen in gardens and open woodland. This is an inquisitive species and will approach people.

The adult eats various insects, caught on the wing. The nymphs feed on aquatic insects, tadpoles and small fish ambushed in the pond they frequent until they emerge as adults in July and August after three years’ development.

Behaviour

This is a large, brightly coloured Dragonfly. 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. If you look carefully you can sometimes find them ovipositing (laying eggs) into some moss, reeds or rotten wood. The males are sometimes very curious and come flying up to you and allowing a close view.

Larvae

The eggs are laid by jabbing the abdomen into rotting vegetation or wood. The eggs hatch in the spring, after being the laid in the previous summer or autumn. The larvae live on small tadpoles and invertebrates. They emerge after 2-3 years.

ee also

* List of British dragonflies

Gallery