Male. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon on August 29th 2011. Click image for larger version.
(1/100th sec at F14. Approx 1.5x life size.)
Immature male. Taken at Abingdon, Oxon on August 9th 2009. Click image for larger version.
(1/125th sec at F10. Approx 1.5x life size.)
Female. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on October 28th 2011. Click image for larger version.
(1/200th sec at F14. Approx 1.25x life size.)
Female side view. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on October 28th 2011. Click image for larger version.
(1/160th sec at F13. Approx 1.25x life size.)

© David Hastings

Description

Wingspan: 74-84mm; Body length: 56-64mm
 
A small Hawker, not aggressive towards other individuals and occasionally seen in large feeding swarms. The costa is brown and there is a "golf-tee" shaped, yellow mark on the second segment. The male looks quite dark with blue, paired spots along the abdomen. The male's pale yellow ante-humerals are indistinct and short, and its eyes are blue.
 
The female is brown with similar markings to the male but the spots are smaller and often yellow, occasionally blue. The ante-humerals are insignificant or absent and eyes are brownish.
 
This species breeds in a wide variety of still and slow-flowing waters with vegetation such as reeds. It avoids acidic water but tolerates brackish conditions. Adults are mostly on the wing in August and September, but can go on well into the autumn.

Sightings

28-Oct-2011	:	Otmoor, Oxon (1f)
24-Sep-2011	:	Parsonage Moor, Oxon (1)
04-Sep-2011	:	Radley Lakes, Oxon (2m)
29-Aug-2011	:	Otmoor, Oxon (3)
14-Aug-2011	:	Aston Upthorpe Down, Oxon (1)
12-Aug-2011	:	Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon (6)
07-Aug-2011	:	Wicken Wood, Northants (1)
24-Jul-2011	:	Sydlings Copse/bridleway (1)
10-Oct-2010	:	Otmoor, Oxon
22-Aug-2010	:	Tophill Low, E. Yorks
24-Jul-2010	:	Bernwood Forest, Bucks
24-Jul-2010	:	Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon
09-Aug-2009	:	Abingdon, Oxon
29-Aug-2009	:	Abingdon, Oxon
07-Aug-2009	:	Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon
27-Sep-2008	:	Otmoor, Oxon