Broad Bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)Slide Show

This is perhaps one of my most favourite dragonflies and it's a very obliging species to photograph. It can often be seen perching in the spring sunshine on low lying emergent vegetation adjacent to bodies of still water where it breeds.

It is a strong looking dragonfly and one of the first to be on the wing. It can be seen in its bright yellow colouring (immature) from late April to early May. Its flight season lasts through to early August.

The abdomen of the male gradually turns to a fine powder blue. This transition may be seen in specimens that exhibit both the hues simultaneously, which can be clearly seen in one of the slides above.

The mature male has dark patches at the base of its wings and yellow cusps on side of its blue abdomen and is unmistakable. The female retains the yellow abdominal colouring which dulls with age and also has the wing patches. The eyes of both sexes are brown.

This Chaser is a very striking dragonfly and is one that is hard to miss. It can offer up some really fantastic image opportunities.