This insect is around 39–48 mm in length, with both the male and the female having a broad, flattened abdomen which is brown with yellow patches down the sides.

The pair separate and the female will find a suitable location for ovipositing, usually a stretch of open water with submerged vegetation.

The larvae live in the silt and detritus at the bottom of the pond, lying buried in mud with just the head and eyes showing.

After emergence the adults move away from water and undergo a period of maturation which lasts 10 to 14 days.

This change is not yet generally accepted and books and field guides list this species as Libellula.