Baltic Hawker (Aeshna serrata)

• English name: Baltic Hawker
• German name: Baltische Mosaikjungfer
• French name: Aeschne dentée
• Dutch name: Getande glazenmaker
• Swedish name: Vassmosaikslända
• Norwegian name: Takrørøyenstikker
• Finnish name: Rannikkoukonkorento
• Danish name: Baltisk mosaikguldsmed
• Italian name: N/A
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: N/A
• Bulgarian name: N/A

Baltic Hawker
(Aeshna serrata)

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 which in Europe occurs only on the Baltic coast
Classification		• suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Aeshnidae
Conservation status		• IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern
Scientific name		• Aeshna serrata Hagen, 1856
Name genus		• Aeshna: of uncertain origin
Name species		• serrata: from Lat. serratus, -a, -um = serrated ⇒ for the row of teeth on the male's upper appendages
Distribution		• click or tap the Map button above
Habitat		• ponds and lagoons near the Baltic sea, often with brackish water and reed beds
Dimensions		• typical body length: 75-81 mm; hindwing: 48-53 mm
Notes		• males slowly weave their way through dense reed beds, looking for ovipositing females
		➤ looks like an oversized A. juncea, but click or tap here for an illustration of the key differences between the two species
		• aeshnids are 'fliers': they spend a lot of time on the wing and seldom hang up for a rest
Both sexes	Thorax	• the thorax is brown with two wide yellow bands on the side
		• the narrow antehumeral stripe is yellow
	Wings	• the costa (i.e. the leading edge of the wing) is yellow
Male	Abdomen	• the abdomen is dark brown with large, rectangular blue spots
		• the lower appendage is short
		• the tips of the upper appendages bear a row of small teeth
Female	Abdomen	• the abdomen is dark brown with extensive yellow spots
Photographs		• all of our photographs below were made in southern Finland in 2010, 2012 and 2018

LineDrawing: the male's abdomen in dorsal and lateral view, and the male's head and thorax in lateral view.

Aeshna juncea (left) and A. serrata (right); male
Apart from being larger, male A. serrata has a much narrower-stemmed T-mark on the frons (top), larger and more rectangular blue abdominal spots (middle), and a much shorter lower appendage (bottom).