The Southern Migrant Hawker or Blue-eyed Hawker (Aeshna affinis) is a dragonfly

Dragonfly

A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...

 found in southern Europe and Asia. It is in the family Aeshnidae

Aeshnidae

The hawkers include the largest dragonflies found in North America and Europe, and are among the largest of the dragonflies on the planet...

 and is very similar in appearance to A. mixta.

Identification

A. affinis is a small Aeshna and very similar to the related A. mixta with which it is easily confused. As its name suggests the male has blue eyes and also blue marking on the abdomen

Abdomen

In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...

. A. affinis lacks the yellow T-shaped mark which is found on the top of the second abdomen segment

Segmentation (biology)

Segmentation in biology refers to either a type of gastrointestinal motility or the division of some animal and plant body plans into a series of repetitive segments. This article will focus on the segmentation of animal body plans, specifically using the examples of the phyla Arthropoda,...

 in A. mixta. The markings on the side of the thorax are also different in A. affinis and A. mixta. In A. affinis the sides of the thorax are greeny yellow with fine black lines along the sutures. In A. mixta the sides of the thorax are similar in colour but the yellow is separated by dark brown areas so it gives the appearance of having two broad yellow stripes

Distribution and habitat

A. affinis is found in southern and central Europe and all around the Mediterranean, in North Africa

North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

 and the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 and across Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

 to China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. It is found on many Mediterranean islands including Menorca, Corsica

Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....

, and Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

. Where it occurs with A. mixta, which has a more northerly distribution, it is less common. It is a migrant species and so is found further northwards in good years.

Behaviour

Adults emerge in May and are on the wing until September. After emergence the immature adults move away from water and spend a time feeding and becoming sexually mature. This period will last 10 days to many weeks. Males are often seen patrolling low down whereas A. mixta tends to patrol higher up in the trees. After maturation the males patrol well vegetated ponds and lakes looking for females. The female will be grabbed and the pair will copulate. After sperm is transferred the male A. affinis stays with the female for egg laying which is usually in vegetation. A. affinis is the only European Aeshna to lay its eggs in tandem; the only other European hawker to lay eggs in tandem is Anax parthenope

Anax parthenope

Anax parthenope, the Lesser Emperor is a dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae. It is found in Southern Europe, north Africa and Asia.-Identification:...

. The laval stage usually lasts two years.