Species account

Green Hawker (Aeshna viridis)    Eversmann, 1836
   Hawkers (Aeshnidae) [Dragonflies]    GRHA    24800
Grøn Mosaikguldsmed (dk)   Grön Mosaikslända (se)  
Synonyms (scientific):
Aeschna virens Charpentier, 1840 (nec Rambur, 1842)
Measurements:
To 65-75mm Ab 43-54mm Hw 38-45mm
Generations:
Flight period:
JFMAMJJASOND 
Scan
EU
Identification:
Similar species:
Life stages:
After mating the solo female inserts the eggs into the leaves of water-soldier (or rarely other plants) below the water surface. The eggs overwinter and hatch the following spring. The larvae live in-between the water plants and develop during 2-3 years. The imago-transformation takes place on the leaves of the water-soldier.
Distribution:
NC and NE Europe including Denmark and southern Sweden and Finland. And from Netherlands to Poland, Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine and patchily to central Siberia. Also minor areas in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. In Denmark mostly C Jylland, northern Sjælland and Bornholm.
Habitat:
Behavior:
Host plants:
Krebseklo (Stratiotes aloides) [Water-soldier]
Dunhammer (Typha)
Pindsvindeknop (Sparganium)
Endemic:
Status
Bern convention, EU Habitat Directive IV. Used to be near-threatened in Denmark but better coverage and better breeding opportunities has been in favor. Bilag IV art means that it and its breeding sites are protected under the EU law. That, however, seems to be an academic exercise, at least today, where many of the breeding sites are small random water holes, away from larger natural habitats, and where the essential host plant, Water-soldiers (Stratiotes aloides), is present and spreading eagerly. Resulting in the species expanding, at least in Denmark. Amager
Comment:
A museum speciemen from Amager Fælled collected in 1930: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3458637332
Green Hawker 803    (4 photos)
2022-06-28    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago
A good number of empty exuvias were seen but only two animals emerging. This one shows a hint of blue on the S3 indicating a male.

I watched the two animals during 4 and a half hour practically without seeing any movement. Don't know if normally takes this long before they start flying?

Exuvia
Green Hawker 2184    (3 photos)
2023-08-13    Halvmånesøen (Tranegilde-Ishøj), Denmark

Imago Male
Poor photos, and I wasn't even sure it was this species when shooting it. The blue hawkers with green thorax are not always easy to identify in flight. But here the blue eye, the bulging top of the thorax with the broad green shoulder stripe, the plain green side to the thorax and the cryptic blue pattern on the side of the abdomen point in this direction.



Green Hawker 2187    (4 photos)
2023-08-13    Halvmånesøen (Tranegilde-Ishøj), Denmark

Imago Male
Here a male chasing an imperator [Stor Kejserguldsmed]. Here it is easier to see the characteristics with the blue eye, white frons, bulging top of the thorax and the broad green shoulder stripes plus the extended amount of blue in a rather cryptic pattern on the side of the abdomen.

The similarity to affinis [Sydlig Mosaikguldsmed] is striking and one has to notice the details to differentiate them: Like the smaller shoulder stripes of affinis and the thin but well-defined black lines on the side of the thorax.



Green Hawker 2227    (2 photos)
2023-08-17    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Male




Green Hawker 2226    (1 photos)
2023-08-17    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Male




Green Hawker 2225    (2 photos)
2023-08-17    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Male




Green Hawker 2224    (1 photos)
2023-08-17    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Male




Green Hawker 2222    (2 photos)
2023-08-17    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Male




Green Hawker 2223    (1 photos)
2023-08-17    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Male




Green Hawker 3047    (9 photos)
2024-07-06    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Male
Different animals. 5 males seen in all.
Not very cooperative, though. At the beginning I found them sitting in the dry meadow up on the slope, but without spotting them before they took flight. Later they started to fly above the wet meadow, when the sun came out. A single female around the main waterhole was all, and that too, flew far away before getting a chance to photograph it. They can be much more obliging, so today was a bummer-day. But a year-species after all.



Green Hawker 3312    (1 photos)
2025-07-19    Han Vejle (skjulet), Denmark

Imago Male
Patrolling in a sheltered opening in the reeds I first thought it would be a sensational first affinis [Sydlig Mosaikguldsmed] for northern Jylland. Both the size and the behavior fit that species. But then I saw the wide green shoulder patches, and had to adjust my opinion, and now leaning toward a cyanea [Blå Mosaikguldsmed] because that would be the next most obivous species it could be. I even imagined to be able to see the complete blue tops of S9 and S10. So it was not until going through my photos that the true identification was revealed, as you can see. The green thorax-side with almost no black lines, the mosaic pattern of the abdomen and the fact that the blue markings on S9 and S10 do not cover the top. Plus the neat detail of the T-mark on the frons without a stem, which is characteristic of viridis.

I thought this, in Denmark and EU, protected species would be a sensation too to find here at this site, but apparently there have been several observations before this one. And who knows if there shouldn't be a patch of Water-soldiers somewhere close by, in a garden or the protected area itself.

Lars Johansen told me, he often had seen viridis away from Water-soldier localities, but this record is the first time I experience this. The species is undoubtedly expanding.



Green Hawker 804    (2 photos)
2022-06-28    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Female
One of two emerging while I was there.
To my knowledge a bluish tone to S3 normally would indicate a male why this must be an unusual individual.

Exuvia
Green Hawker 1825    (5 photos)
2023-07-20    Haslev (sjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Vandhul Troelstrup Bygade. Teneral.
Picked out of the waterhole and placed on a leaf to warm up in the afternoon sun; took off soon after.
We could see some ten tenerals sitting among the water soldiers [Krebseklo], but there were probably many more.



Green Hawker 2186    (2 photos)
2023-08-13    Halvmånesøen (Tranegilde-Ishøj), Denmark

Imago Female
Again a difficult situation, but enough is seen to id it, - by the green base color and the pattern of the green markings on the side of the abdomen which are unique to the female viridis.



Green Hawker 2185    (2 photos)
2023-08-13    Halvmånesøen (Tranegilde-Ishøj), Denmark

Imago Female
Not satisfying when they sit like this, deep in between the Water Soldiers [Krebesklo], but here enough is seen to id it well.



Green Hawker 2221    (2 photos)
2023-08-17    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Female
Cemetery pond at NE corner.
Egg-laying.



Green Hawker 2220    (2 photos)
2023-08-17    Svanesøen (Lynge), Denmark

Imago Female
Egg-laying.



Green Hawker 805    (2 photos)
2022-06-28    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Exuvia
Krebseklo-vandhullet.

Some 50 empty exuvias were hanging in the water soldiers, with only two actively emerging.

Exuvia