A large hawker. Always recognized by the complete blue or green bands on top of S9 and S10.
Similar species:
Life stages:
Distribution:
Most of Europe; absent Ireland, Sardinia, Greece and northern part of Fennoscandinavia. Also present Algeria, Turkey and Russia to Central Asia region. In Denmark widespread in all regions.
Imago ♂
When flying I normally see this species away from water and breeding habitats patrolling shady corridors in forests. This one therefore is in breeding mode, likely confirmed by the presence of the egg-laying female in 2373.
Imago ♂
Vandhullet uden krebseklo, kirkegården. Teneral.
A freshly sprinkled teneral after a heavy shower. It sat like this when I arrived, and still in the same position 4 hours later when I left. It wasn't exactly cold and the sun came out, and as can be seen it had dried up during this period, but apparently still wasn't able to move.
Not very obvious that it is this species, but it was big, it has greenish wide shoulder stripes and S8 is colored across the entire segment exactly as a cyanea normally is. Just this one seen.