Aeshna cyanea
• English name: Blue Hawker
• German name: Blaugrüne Mosaikjungfer
• French name: Aeschne bleue
• Dutch name: Blauwe glazenmaker
• Swedish name: Blågrön mosaikslända
• Norwegian name: Blågrønn øyenstikker
• Finnish name: Kirjoukonkorento
• Danish name: Blå mosaikguldsmed
• Italian name: Dragone verdeazzurro
• Czech name: šídlo modré
• Slovenian name: Zelenomodra deva
• Bulgarian name: Петнист пъстролет
Aeshna cyanea
Not present
Present before 1990
Present after 1990
Present before and after 1990
Present after 2015
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | • a very large species of central Europe; rare in northern Scandinavia and in the south-west and south-east of Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Aeshnidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Aeshna cyanea (Müller, 1764) | |
| Name genus | • Aeshna: of uncertain origin | |
| Name species | • cyanea: from Lat. cyaneus, -a, -um = sea-blue ⇒ for the blue spots on the male's abdomen | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • very small and shaded ponds, including garden ponds | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 67-76 mm; hindwing: 43-53 mm | |
| Notes | • males tend to be very inquisitive and will often fly up to an observer to check them out | |
| • the only European Aeshna species with uninterrupted coloured bands on S9 and S10; in all other species those bands are interrupted by a dark dorsal line - see below for details | ||
| • aeshnids are 'fliers': they spend a lot of time on the wing and seldom hang up for a rest | ||
| Both sexes | Thorax | • in immature animals all light-coloured parts on the thorax are beige |
| Abdomen | ➤ the coloured bands on S9 and S10 (sky blue in the male, light green in the female) are uninterrupted | |
| • in immature animals all light-coloured parts on the abdomen are beige | ||
| Male | Head | • the eyes have a blue spot on top |
| Thorax | • the thorax is light green with two dark lines on the side; the antehumeral stripe is light green | |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is dark brown with sky-blue and light-green spots | |
| Female | Thorax | • the thorax is light green with two dark lines on the side; the antehumeral stripe is light green |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is dark brown with light-green spots | |
| Photographs | • most of our photos below were made in Tuscany and Bavaria |
LineDrawing: the male's abdomen in dorsal view, the male's head and thorax in lateral view, and the male's appendages in dorsal and lateral view.
