Unusual dragonfly seen locally

Flying in the garden was this colourful insect on Monday. The photo is of the actual dragonfly.

Checking the books it is a libellula depressa dragonfly, broad bodied libellula otherwise known as a common chaser, but not in this part of the world. It is common in Southern England.

Insects are a good marker and barometer of changing climate and now colonising further north. It's the first I have seen around here. The insect is a female and just emerged judging by her vivid colour.

The broad-bodied chaser is a medium-sized, broad-bodied dragonfly which is on the wing from the end of May to August. It is a common southern dragonfly of ponds and small lakes. It regularly returns to the same perch after swift flights out across the water looking for insects.

Mating occurs on the wing, often taking less than a minute, after which the female will find a suitable spot to lay her eggs where she hovers over the water, dipping tip of her abdomen in and dropping her eggs on to vegetation below the surface.

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