Blue Chaser (Libellula fulva)
• English name: Blue Chaser
• German name: Spitzenfleck
• French name: Libellule fauve
• Dutch name: Bruine korenbout
• Swedish name: Spetsfläckad trollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: Sorjahukankorento
• Danish name: Spidsplettet libel
• Italian name: Libellula frontenera
• Czech name: vážka plavá
• Slovenian name: Črni ploščec
• Bulgarian name: Бродещо живениче
Blue Chaser
(Libellula fulva)
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 of central and eastern Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Libellula fulva Müller, 1764 | |
| Name genus | • Libellula: dimin. of Lat. libella, the word which in Linnaeus' time was used for dragonflies in general | |
| Name species | • fulva: from Lat. fulvus, -a, -um = tawny, reddish yellow ⇒ for the colouration of females and immature animals; mature, pruinescent males were initially believed to be a separate species | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • reed-bordered lakes and canals | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 42-45 mm; hindwing: 32-38 mm | |
| Notes | • libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females | |
| • in immature animals the eyes, face, thorax and abdomen are of a bright orange-brown colour | ||
| Both sexes | Wings | ➤ the hindwing bears a small dark patch at the base; the forewing bears a small dark bar at the base |
| • the wing tip may bear a small dark spot | ||
| Male | Head | • the eyes are blue-grey |
| • the face is black | ||
| Thorax | • the thorax is uniformly dark brown | |
| Abdomen | ➤ from S3 to S7 the abdomen is covered by a light-blue pruinescence; S8-S10 are black | |
| Female | Head | • the eyes are brown (but grey on top) |
| • the face is brown | ||
| Thorax | • the thorax is uniformly brown | |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is (dark) brown, with a black mid-dorsal stripe | |
| Photographs | • most of our photos below were made in Italy and the Netherlands |
