Eastern Spectre (Caliaeschna microstigma)
• English name: Eastern Spectre
• German name: Schattenlibelle
• French name: N/A
• Dutch name: Schaduwlibel
• Swedish name: N/A
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: N/A
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: Bledi vetrnjak
• Bulgarian name: Речен пъстролет
Eastern Spectre (Caliaeschna microstigma)
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 | ➤ the smallest of our aeshnid species, which occurs only in south-eastern Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Aeshnidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Near Threatened | |
| Scientific name | • Caliaeschna microstigma (Schneider, 1845) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • streams and rivers with plants and trees whose roots are directly over the water | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 50-60 mm; hindwing: 35-41 mm | |
| Notes | • males zigzag low over the water, meticulously checking every nook and cranny in the river bank for ovipositing females | |
| • aeshnids are 'fliers': they spend a lot of time on the wing and seldom hang up for a rest | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the top of the frons (white in mature males; yellow in females and immature males) bears a bold black bar |
| Thorax | • the side of the thorax is brown, with two large pale bands | |
| Wings | ➤ the pterostigma is dark and very short | |
| Male | Thorax | ➤ the top of the thorax is brown, with a light-blue, boomerang-shaped antehumeral stripe |
| Abdomen | • the top of the abdomen is black, with light-blue spots | |
| Female | Thorax | • the top of the thorax is brown, with a yellow antehumeral stripe |
| Abdomen | • the top of the abdomen is brown, with small yellow spots | |
| Photographs | • nearly all of our photos below were made on the Peloponnese in 2010 and 2015 |
LineDrawing: the female's wings in dorsal view.
