Brachytron – Hairy Hawkers

Hairy Hawker – Hairy Dragonfly – Brachytron pratense – UK – European Dragonfly photo

The Hairy Hawker – Hairy Dargonfly – (Brachytron pratense) has special significance for me as I re-discovered it at Hatchmere in Cheshire U K during the 1970’s after very many years when none had been recorded. I can still vividly remember being with a friend from Derbyshire on the edge of the mere when we heard the distinctive rustling of a dragonfly’s wings in the reeds before we actually saw it. It was very early in the season and we immediately realised that it could only be a Hairy Hawker – one of those magical moments. This early small aeshna species is local in the UK but can be relatively common where it is found. In Europe it is mainly found in central and western regions but even here it can be scarce in some areas.

KEY I/D FEATURES :

Males are often seen (and heard) exploring the edges of reedy lakes. The thorax is visibly hairy and from the side the pale green is crossed by two black lines. From above there are complete green antehumeral stripes. The abdomen is black with pairs of long blue dots on each segment and a central small and more round dot on Segment 1. The pterostigma are thin and long.

Females have similarly spotted abdomens but all the spots are yellow. The thorax is brown with two small incomplete pterostigma.