A moderately sized
(48mm)dragonfly superficially similar to Downy
Emerald but with a more obvious metallic green
body and apple green eyes.
Nationally rare and restricted
to a few local areas in the highlands of Scotland and a small band of central
southern England.. Preferring still water or slow flowing habitats near
deciduous woodland.
Males have a
surprisingly varied flight behaviour. Most books
and observations state they fly low down close to
shore, usually in the darkest reaches of a pond.
This was certainly the case on at Warren Heath.
The male would repeatedly patrol a length of
shore, checking out every nook & cranny for
females.
On a previous occasion at Thursley
Common they would fly about 3 meters above the
water far from shore. At Ashurst Forest I observed
one male patrolling several meters above a stream
and clearing, hunting in a zigzag pattern.
My last encounter at Bramshill Common was a male
patrolling a small pond in much the same way as a
Downy Emerald; about a meter above the water
zigzagging across the whole of the pond. This
behaviour was also observed at a smal pond in
Ashurst Forest the year before.
There is
also a suggestion that they don't perch during
their patrol, yet |I have witnessed males perching
on bank-side vegetation at all locations.
Females on the other hand have so far eluded me,
although the books state they prefer to oviposit
under shady, steep banks - a behaviour backed up
by the behaviour of searching males.
Both
sexes can be found away from water when maturing
and hunting, often perching to take rest on gorse,
fern or tree trunks. |
