Sibirische Mosaikjungfer
(Aeshna crenata)

The Siberian Hawker is probably the largest European dragonfly we have ever seen, larger even than the Magnificent Emperor (Anax immaculifrons). In fact, it is so large and heavily built that it makes the other aeshnid species with which it typically flies (A. grandis, A. juncea and A. subarctica) look like little schoolboys and will readily take one of them for lunch (see photograph below). In Europe it occurs only in Southern Finland and a few other areas in the Baltics. Aeshna crenata typically occurs in small forest lakes. At one such lake in Finland (with a surface area of no more than a hectare) we saw a population of around a dozen males and ditto females. The female is quite soberly coloured, combining brown, yellow and creamy white while sporting dark patches on her wings. The male, too, is fairly modest in his coloration of brown and blue, but his eyes are an exquisitely beautiful light blue / emerald green.

For an overview of the Siberian Hawker's distribution in Europe, hover your mouse pointer over the map symbol .
With the authors' permission we have based this map on data published in Kalkman et al. (2010).

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