Head to head
Southern Hawker vs Brown Hawker
Southern Hawker
VS Brown Hawker
The southern hawker and brown hawker are two large European hawker dragonflies in the genus Aeshna that both fly from midsummer into autumn.
| Southern Hawker | Brown Hawker | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Aeshna cyanea | Aeshna grandis |
| Colour | The male is dark with apple-green thorax markings and blue abdomen spots, and the female is browner with green markings | A rich brown body with yellow thorax markings and wings tinted amber that glow golden in the sun |
| Hunting | Hunts along woodland rides, hedgerows, and garden edges, often well away from ponds, and hovers in front of people to inspect them | Flies long beats along the edges of ponds, canals, and slow rivers, catching insects on the wing |
| Egg-laying | The female lays eggs in rotting wood, moss, or soft plant stems near the water | The female lays eggs in floating or rotting plant material at the water's edge |
| Male marks | Blue spots on the abdomen | A pair of blue spots near the base of the abdomen |
| Season | Flies from midsummer until autumn, and is often one of the last large dragonflies still on the wing | Flies from midsummer into autumn, and can still be seen on warm days in October |
| Habitat and range | Ponds, lakes, and slow streams, and the woodland and gardens around them, across Europe and into western Asia | Ponds, lakes, canals, and slow rivers across Europe and into western Asia |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, and spreading northward in parts of Britain | Least Concern, and spreading northward in parts of Britain |
Southern Hawker vs Brown Hawker: common questions
Which hawker has golden wings?
The brown hawker, whose rich brown body and amber-tinted wings glow golden in the sun.
Which hawker is inquisitive?
The southern hawker, which often hovers in front of people and other objects to inspect them.
Do they live near water?
The brown hawker patrols the edges of ponds, canals, and slow rivers, while the southern hawker often hunts along woodland rides and hedgerows away from water.