Green Hawker (Aeshna viridis)
• English name: Green Hawker
• German name: Grüne Mosaikjungfer
• French name: Aeschne verte
• Dutch name: Groene glazenmaker
• Swedish name: Grön mosaikslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: Viherukonkorento
• Danish name: Grøn mosaikguldsmed
• Italian name: N/A
• Czech name: šídlo zelené
• Slovenian name: Zelena deva
• Bulgarian name: N/A
Green Hawker
(Aeshna viridis)
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 northern and north-eastern Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Aeshnidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Near Threatened | |
| Scientific name | • Aeshna viridis Eversmann, 1836 | |
| Name genus | • Aeshna: of uncertain origin | |
| Name species | • viridis: from Lat. viridis, -is, -e = green ⇒ for the colour of the thorax | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • lakes, canals and ditches with Water Soldier | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 65-75 mm; hindwing: 38-45 mm | |
| Notes | • males (in flight) resemble Anax imperator and could easily be mistaken for that species | |
| • tends to rest low down in tall grasses and other dense vegetation, where it's virtually impossible to detect | ||
| • females oviposit in the rosettes of Water Soldier (Stratiotes aloides) and may easily damage their wings against the spiny, serrated leaves of that plant | ||
| • aeshnids are 'fliers': they spend a lot of time on the wing and seldom hang up for a rest | ||
| Both sexes | Head | ➤ the stem of the T-shaped mark on the frons is very thin |
| Thorax | ➤ the thorax is apple green with a few thin dark lines on the side | |
| ➤ the antehumeral stripe is wide and green | ||
| Male | Head | • the eyes are blue |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is dark brown with blue spots | |
| Female | Head | • the eyes are green or brown |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is dark brown with green spots | |
| Photographs | • nearly all of our photos below were made in the Netherlands in 2012 and in northern Germany in 2019 |
