34-37 mm. Medium-sized dragonfly of the Libellulidiae family; it is distributed throughout the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, with a tendency to expand its peninsular distribution.
Sexual dimorphism is present in mature males, which have brown upper eyelids and light gray lower eyelids. Their thorax is brown on top and lighter on the sides, with black-edged sutures. The abdomen is pale red on top with orange sides. The sides of segments S1 to S3 are pale and have a distinctive elongated black spot. The last segments are also spotted with black on the sides. The wings are hyaline with a bright red leading edge and a reddish (sometimes pale yellow) pterostigma. The leading edge of the wing is somewhat colored.
The legs are edged in black, and the rest of the plumage is straw-colored to brownish with a light blue interior. The female is straw-yellow, lacking any orange coloration. She has the same black markings on the sides of her abdomen as the male, which helps in identification. The only other feature she shares with the male is the eye color, although it is somewhat duller.
It inhabits open spaces in warm areas, in all types of stagnant or slow-moving water.
It feeds on all kinds of small flying insects, which are captured in the air; it is a dragonfly that tends to return to the same perch after each flight; flights are usually short in order to patrol its small territory or hunt; it normally lands on a plant near water, less frequently on the ground.
Young adults emerge in June and after 2-3 weeks, they leave the water and move away from it during the summer, being possible to find them in forests, shrubby areas or even urbanizations, after this period of drought or maturation, in September they return to areas with water, begin courtship and mate, the eggs are laid in autumn and the adults die at the end of autumn.
This species reproduces in standing water bodies that make pools. These are clear sunny areas of the rivers and streams, reservoirs, dams and man-made ponds.Way of life
The adults emerge at the beginning of spring and go away from water to get mature. Sometimes they fly far away to the mountains, forests or thickets, and even in urban areas. They come back to the places where they were bred at the end of summer or in autumn, and this is the moment when they can easily be spotted. They rest on the ground, and on plants, holding their wings forward over the thorax. They get really attached to these homes, so they come back often after flying short distance, hunting or patrolling.
