Southern Hawker
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Hexapoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Anisoptera
Family:	Aeshnidae
Genus:	Aeshna
Species:	A. cyanea
Binomial name
Aeshna cyanea (Muller, 1764)

The Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea), known as the Blue Darner in the Western Hemisphere, is a 70 mm long species of hawker dragonfly.

It is large, with a long body. It has green markings on the black bodies, and the male also has blue spots on the abdomen.

The Southern Hawker breeds in still or slow-flowing water, but will wander widely, and is often seen in gardens and open woodland. This is an inquisitive species and will approach people.

The adult eats various insects, caught on the wing. The nymphs feed on aquatic insects, tadpoles and small fish ambushed in the pond they frequent until they emerge as adults in July and August after three years’ development.

[edit] Behaviour

This is a large, brightly coloured Dragonfly. The males are often seen patrolling by a ponds edge or river, where they fight away intruders, crashing into rival males and spiralling through the air. The females are quite inconspicuous when they lay their eggs, but they sometimes give away their spot by clattering up from the reeds. If you look carefully you can sometimes find them ovipositing (laying eggs) into some moss, reeds or rotten wood. The males are sometimes very curious and come flying up to you and allowing a close view.

[edit] Larvae

The eggs are laid by jabbing the abdomen into rotting vegetation or wood. The eggs hatch in the spring, after being laid in the previous summer or autumn. The larvae live on small tadpoles and invertebrates. They emerge after 2-3 years.

[edit] See also

• List of British dragonflies

[edit] Gallery

Moulting phase of Aeshna cyanea. Arthropods possess an exoskeleton which provides support and defends the animal from mechanical injury. The exoskeleton limits growth, however, and is periodically shed in a process referred to as moulting.

Female Southern Hawker freshly emerged with larva skin	Female Southern Hawker	Male Southern Hawker, pictured in England	A young female Southern Hawker
Two stages in emergence from nymph-cuticle	Dragon-fly emerged, wings expanding	With expanded wings

Wikispecies has information related to: Aeshna cyanea