Quick Identification Guide

 
Welcome to my quick identification guide for the Southern Hawker. These graphics are meant as a guide to the key identifying features of both the male and the female dragonflies.

The text section has been kindly written and supplied by Mr Ken Crick.

The male Southern Hawker

The male (see above) can appear predominantly blue in flight due to their blue flanked abdomen. At rest males are clearly brown, green and blue. The green tends towards the yellow end of the spectrum. There are two broad stripes on the upper brown surface of the thorax. There is a large green triangle on the upper surface of the second abdominal segment. It is the only British resident Aeshna species that has undivided blue stripes on abdominal segments nine & ten.

The female Southern Hawker