Southern migrant hawker © Henry Stanier
Southern migrant hawker
Scientific name: Aeshna affinis
This dazzling dragonfly, also known as the blue-eyed hawker, is a recent arrival to Britain.
Species information
Statistics
Length: 60 mmWhen to see
June to SeptemberAbout
The southern migrant hawker used to be an extremely rare migrant from the Mediterranean. It has become much more common in the last two decades and has even started breeding in southern England.In continental Europe, southern migrant hawkers are known to breed in shallow pools that dry up over summer. In Britain, they're often found along damp, reedy ditches. Males fly up and down their chosen ditch, looking for females and defending their territory from incursions by other males.
How to identify
Males are strikingly blue, with bright blue eyes. They have yellowish-green sides to the thorax and a black abdomen with extensive blue markings. There is a blue, triangular marking at the top of the abdomen. They could be confused with the migrant hawker, but this has duller eyes and appears less blue overall. The migrant hawker also has a yellowish marking at the top of the abdomen shaped like a golf tee, and the large blue spots on its abdomen alternate with smaller spots.Females are brown and yellow. They also have a large, triangular marking at the top of the abdomen - though in females this is yellow.