Brown maid of honor

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Brown maid of honor
Brown maidenhead (Aeshna grandis), male

Brown maidenhead ( Aeshna grandis ), male

Systematics
Order : Dragonflies (Odonata)
Subordination : Dragonflies (Anisoptera)
Superfamily : Aeshnoidea
Family : Noble dragonflies (Aeshnidae)
Genre : Maid of the Mosaic ( Aeshna )
Type : Brown maid of honor
Scientific name
Aeshna grandis
( Linnaeus , 1758)

The brown mermaid ( Aeshna grandis ) is a species of dragonfly from the family of the noble dragonflies (Aeshnidae). It is a very large dragonfly with a wingspan of no more than 10.5 centimeters, which is strikingly brown in color - including the wings.

features

Female rests on the branch of an alder
Females laying eggs
Male eats a darter

The brown damsel reaches wingspans of 9.5 to 10.5 centimeters and thus remains only slightly smaller than the blue-green damsel ( Aeshna cyanea ) and the great dragonfly ( Anax imperator ). The entire body of the brown mosaic maiden has a brown base tone and, in the male, a blue pattern. Males also have blue shimmering eyes and, compared to the females, are waisted on the upper abdomen. In contrast to the similarly colored Keilfleck-Mosaikjungfer ( Aeshna isoceles ) with crystal-clear wings, the wings are also colored brown. The latter also has a wedge-shaped drawing on the back of the second abdomen section.

Way of life

The brown mosaic maiden can be found in ponds and lakes from July to September. The males often fly very long distances without flapping their wings in gliding flight over the surface of the water as well as along the shore and occasionally settle briefly on branches near the ground.

The mating of the animals begins at the water and ends on branches near the ground on the bank. The females pierce their eggs into floating and dead plant parts on the water or just below the water surface.

Larval development

The eggs are laid relatively late and overwinter as such, the larvae do not hatch until the following year. The larval development takes two to three years. The larvae are relatively sluggish and spend most of their time hidden in aquatic plants.

literature

  • Heiko Bellmann: Observe dragonflies - determine , Naturbuch Verlag, Augsburg 1993, ISBN 3-89440-107-9
  • Gerhard Jurzitza: The Kosmos-Dragonfly Guide , Franckh-Kosmos Verlags GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-08402-7
  • Günther Peters: Die Edellibellen Europa , Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei Vol. 585, Wittenberg 1987, ISBN 3-7403-0050-7
  • Sternberg, K. & B. Schmidt (2000): Aeshna grandis Linnaeus, 1758 - Brown mosaic maid. Pp. 54-68. in: Sternberg / Buchwald (ed.): Die Libellen Baden-Württemberg. Volume 2: Dragonflies (Anisoptera). Ulmer, Stuttgart, ISBN 3-8001-3514-0

Web links

Commons : Braune Mosaikjungfer  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files