Broad Bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)

Size: - Approximate Length 44mm - Wing Span 76mm.

Male: - Dark chestnut wing patches adjacent to the thorax. Pale stripes on the upper surface of the brown thorax.

Flat broad pale blue abdomen with yellow cusps on the sides of segments three to seven.

Female: - Has the brown eyes & thorax of the male but an even broader abdomen, the yellow cusps are also

This narrative was kindly written and supplied by Mr Ken Crick

All Photography by Chris Brooks

Click on the thumb-nails to enlarge the images.

larger and generally feature on segments four to eight. Pale stripes on the upper surface of the brown thorax also mimic the male. Older females can develop a bluish hue.

Status: - Found in Englands southern and midland counties and Wales.

Habitat: - Found on a wide variety of water bodies, a rapid colonizer of new ponds and even flooded tyre tracks left by heavy machinery. Bog pools, ponds,

canals and open well vegetated ditches. 

Flight period: - May to early August.

General: - Males are very aggressive and territorial, perching on a vegetative high point from which to launch aggressive forays against any intruder of whatever species of dragonfly.

Copulation is rapid taking only seconds and occurs on the wing.

Females usually egg-lay alone by dipping their abdomen into the water as they fly low over the surface, in and out of marginal vegetation.

Occasionally a male will be seen in flight guarding an egg-laying female but he is easily distracted by other dragonflies and rapidly deserts guard duty if another female appears.