Brachytron pratense (Müller, 1764)

Medium-sized species (small among the Aeshnidae), with wingspan about 800 mm maximum and width about 60 mm. The thorax is yellow-greenish with two black bands, the abdomen is black with markings, blue in males and yellow-green in females. The thorax and the anterior abdominal segments typically are hairy. Both sexes feature a typical colored spot on the back of the first abdominal segment.

This is a very early species: it is the first of the Aeshnidae to show up in spring. It flies from the end of April to July.

This species can be found in still or slowly streaming water areas, with abundant riparian vegetation.

Usual in central and eastern Europe. Southwards and westwards it originates just fragmented populations. Northwards it reaches southern Scandinavia. In the Cuneo region the species is very rare: just one datum recorded (Fasano et al., 1993). In recent studies it was not found again.