- Lifespan
- 1 year; adults active from June to October
- Size & Weight
- 28–34 mm body length; wingspan 32–38 mm
- Habitat
- Still and slow-moving freshwater bodies including ponds, ditches, fens, and boggy areas with emergent vegetation.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; resident species with populations present from June onwards; absent from far northern regions.
- Diet
- Small flying insects including midges, gnats, and other tiny invertebrates; hunts by perching and making quick aerial sallies.
- Prey
- Midges, gnats, small flies, and other aquatic and terrestrial insects
- Predators
- Robber flies, larger dragonflies, birds (including reed warblers and reed buntings), and aquatic predators of nymphs such as fish and diving beetles
- Mating Season
- June to September
- Breeding
- Females lay eggs singly into plant stems (endophytic oviposition) above the waterline; eggs overwinter and hatch in spring; single generation per year with aquatic nymph stage lasting 2–3 months.
- Behaviour
- Males perch prominently on vegetation and are highly territorial, defending patches against rival males. Mating occurs in tandem position with pairs remaining coupled for several hours. This species is one of the few damselflies that oviposit out of water, inserting eggs into plant tissue above the waterline.