Attenborough Nature Reserve

Dragonflies


Brown Hawker (Aeshna grandis)



Male Brown Hawker at rest


Our largest dragonfly and one of our commonest is the Brown Hawker. During its flight period from mid-July to mid-September up to 100 might be found across the whole reserve.
This dragonfly has a brown body and even its wings are distinctively suffused with gingery-brown making it unmistakable.
It is a powerful flier and aggressive in both defence of breeding territories over the water and feeding territories away from the water. It is active until dusk feeding on other insects, especially mosquitos and midges but also species as large as butterflies and damselflies. Aeshnas of all species are in turn predated by birds, especially at the point of emergence but even in flight by fast flying birds such as Hobbies. These have been seen catching and eating dragonflies in mid-air over the Delta.