Macromia- Cruisers – River Cruisers (NA)
Splendid Cruiser – Macromia splendens – European Dragonfly photo
The Splendid Cruiser ( Macromia splendens ) is one of the rarest and most difficult of the European dragonflies to photograph and I was fortunate to be shown this site in Andalucia, Spain. It is endemic to southern France and Iberia and is mainly seen on calm and sunny late mornings and early afternoons. The preferred habitat seems to be calm stretches of rivers with rocky edges and overhanging trees, often situated in quite steep sided valleys. It flies forwards and back just above the water and a short distance from the bank. Apparently tireless it very seldom lands to hang up on a branch at a convenient height to photograph!
KEY I/D FEATURES
Superficially this species resembles the Goldenrings – Cordulegasters as it is similar in size but the body is somewhat thinner and less clubbed. Most striking are the large bright green eyes. The thorax is also a dark green with yellow antehumeral stripes and a yellow crescent shape in front of the forewings. Viewed from the side there is a wide yellow band. The abdomen is black with a large yellow spots. The black legs are long and spidery.
