Females darken with age, becoming a dark chocolate brown, and sometimes develop a blue colouration to the bottom of the abdomen.

Adults can be seen on the wing all year round in southern Europe but in northern regions they occur from June to November.

This small dragonfly is seen in a wide variety of habitats, including lakes, ponds, canals and slow-flowing rivers.

This habit of repeatedly returning to a sunny spot allows you to easily predict where they are going to land, which is why it is one of the easiest dragonflies to photograph.

Eggs are not laid, but broadcast from the air: the male holds the female in tandem and swings her down and forward over water.