Broad-Bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)
• English name: Broad-Bodied Chaser
• German name: Plattbauch
• French name: Libellule déprimée
• Dutch name: Platbuik
• Swedish name: Bred trollslända
• Norwegian name: Bred blålibelle
• Finnish name: Litteähukankorento
• Danish name: Blå libel
• Italian name: Libellula panciapiatta
• Czech name: vážka ploská
• Slovenian name: Modri ploščec
• Bulgarian name: Плоскотело живениче
Broad-Bodied Chaser
(Libellula depressa)
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 medium-sized species which is common throughout Europe except the far north | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Libellula depressa Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Name genus | • Libellula: dimin. of Lat. libella, the word which in Linnaeus' time was used for dragonflies in general | |
| Name species | • depressa: from Lat. deprimere, past part. depressus, -a, -um = flattened ⇒ for the broad, flattened shape of the abdomen | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • small, shallow and sunny still waters | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 39-48 mm; hindwing: 32-38 mm | |
| Notes | • libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females | |
| • mating takes place in flight and lasts for about 10 seconds | ||
| • several males may hold territory at a small site and dog fights between them are common | ||
| • androchrome, pruinescent females are quite common in this species | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the eyes are brown |
| Thorax | • the thorax is brown with a broad whitish antehumeral stripe | |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen in immature animals is yellow to light-brown | |
| ➤ the abdomen is broad and flattened in shape | ||
| Wings | ➤ each wing bears a large dark patch at the base | |
| Male | Abdomen | • the abdomen is covered with a light-blue pruinescence and has yellow patches laterally on S4-S7; these patches may be partly obscured |
| Female | Abdomen | • the abdomen is light- to dark-brown with yellow patches laterally on S4-S7; these patches may be partly obscured |
| Photographs | • nearly all of our photos below were made in Tuscany |
