Hairy Dragonfly

Earlier Reed Hunter ( Brachytron pratense)

The Early Reed Hunter ( Brachytron pratense ) is a dragonfly of the family of precious Dragonflies ( Aeshnidae ), which belong to the suborder of large dragonflies ( Anisoptera ). It is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of up to eight centimeters. In older literature this often carries still the German name Little Darner.

Features

The Early reed hunter reached wingspans of seven to eight centimeters and a total length of about six centimeters. The chest section (thorax ) of the rigid structure of animals is greenish - yellow with black markings, the abdomen ( tummy) black with a blue drawing in the males and a yellow-green in females. Noticeable is the pubescence of the thorax and anterior abdominal segments, which is why the species is also known as "Hairy Dragonfly" in English. Likelihood of confusion especially with the Autumn Hawker ( Aeshna mixta ), but only two yellow-green strip has on the sides of the thorax and the flight time is almost completely separated from that of the early reed hunter.

Dissemination

The area of ​​the Early reed hunter is largely restricted to Europe, the closed circulation area covers mainly Central and Eastern Europe. In the West, the kind namely in Portugal reached the Atlantic, however, the western and southern European populations are quite scattered and often isolated as to be seen. In the north of Ireland, England, Denmark, southern Sweden and southern Finland are achieved. The vertical distribution is limited in Central Europe mainly on the plains, in the Balkans suitable waters are, however, also settled on the plateau in middle mountain areas and localities reached even up to 1400 m.

Way of life

The Early reed hunter is with the first large bubble that appears in the spring. The Emergenzperiode can use in Central Europe at the end of April in southern Europe even at the end of March. The flight time of the early reed hunter is correspondingly May to July. During this time you can find the way to standing and slowly flowing waters, with males usually fly at low altitude over the water level by tall-growing aquatic plants belt and sit there on the plants. The pairing is initiated in flight and also takes place here or on the floor. For oviposition, the female is unaccompanied of the male horizontally on sodden, floating or rotten parts of plants, in which they pierces the eggs; living plant material is very rarely used. The development of waters of the kind often have a strong, sunlit shallow water zone, usually with reeds (mainly reed and reed canary grass) is passed. The Early reed hunter is one of the few species of dragonflies, which can also develop in brackish water.

Larval development

The larvae live in the vegetation of the waters, like in roots and submerged branched plants, where they like to tuck in tight to elongated structures. You need three years to develop normally. When the larvae represent harassing dead

Others

In addition to the scientifically valid name Brachytron pratense also the name as is very often hafniense used for this species. Both names were at the same time in the same publication by OF Müller awarded in 1764, when the males Libellula pratensis and the female was described as Libellula hafniensis. In such cases, decides according to ICZN Code Article 24.2.2, the first author be revised, which of the two names must be used.