Photos - Places - Animals - Plants - People - Mexico

Home	Butterflies	Dragonflies	Birds (media)	Flora & Fauna (media)	Observations	Species
Mexican Species	Download Checklists	Links	My 5 Chickens	Other Photos	The Birding Program	About

Species account

Grøn Mosaikguldsmed (Aeshna viridis) Eversmann (1836) Mosaikguldsmede (Aeshnidae) GRHA 24800

Green Hawker (gb) Grön Mosaikslända (se)

Measurements:

To 65-75mm Ab 43-54mm Hw 38-45mm

Flight period:

Identification:

Similar species:

Life stages:

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:

Status:

LC(global) VU(eu) LC(dk). (bilag IV art). 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. Thus, the species is expanding, at least in Denmark.

Comment:

804 (2 photos)
2022-06-28

Imago ♀
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

805 (2 photos)
2022-06-28

Exuvia
Krebseklo-vandhullet.

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

Exuvia

803 (4 photos)
2022-06-28

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

1825 (5 photos)
2023-07-20

Imago ♀
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.

2184 (3 photos)
2023-08-13

Imago ♂

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.

2185 (2 photos)
2023-08-13

Imago ♀

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

2186 (2 photos)
2023-08-13

Imago ♀

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.

2187 (4 photos)
2023-08-13

Imago ♂

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.

2220 (2 photos)
2023-08-17

Imago ♀
Egg-laying.

2227 (2 photos)
2023-08-17

Imago ♂

2226 (1 photos)
2023-08-17

Imago ♂

2225 (2 photos)
2023-08-17

Imago ♂

2224 (1 photos)
2023-08-17

Imago ♂

2223 (1 photos)
2023-08-17

Imago ♂

2222 (2 photos)
2023-08-17

Imago ♂

2221 (2 photos)
2023-08-17

Imago ♀
Cemetery pond at NE corner.

Egg-laying.

3047 (9 photos)
2024-07-06

Imago ♂
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.