A small Stratiotes-choked pond at Ølsted Nordstrand in Denmark provided a splendid spot for me to get familiar with a new dragonfly, the spectacular Aeshna viridis.
Back in southern Sweden viridis is a scarce species because the essential component of it's habitat (the aquatic plant water-soldier Stratiotes aloides) is also scarce. By comparison nearby Denmark has numerous Stratiotes sites and these hold viridis, seem a bit unfair really!
There must have been 40+ egg-laying females at the pond at Ølsted, flying short distances and then landing and backing down the Stratiotes to oviposit into the plant. viridis only egg-lays into this one plant species in our area.
You can see my photo of a flying male in a previous post.
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