[2] It is found in wetlands and peat bogs from northern Europe eastwards to Siberia, and the adults are active from around April till September, which is known as the "flight period".

[3] It breeds in acidic bodies of water, laying its eggs in clumps of sphagnum moss that provide a safe habitat for larval development.

[6] In recent decades, this species has been observed as far afield as Russia and China, however the vast majority of sightings have occurred in central and northern Europe.

In England, a few isolated populations occur in Cheshire and Cumbria, where biodiversity action plans have been set up to protect them, and as far south as Chartley Moss National Nature Reserve in Staffordshire.

[5] The acidification of ponds and lakes due to airborne pollution may in fact benefit L. dubia and other species that prefer acidic conditions, as this can result in a greater occurrence of sphagnum moss.

[5] Since fish are less likely to occur in relatively smaller bodies of water, since these are at greater risk of becoming oxygen deficient during the winter, it has been suggested that adult dragonflies may choose where to lay their eggs by judging the size of a lake.

[2] When the larvae have developed sufficiently and are ready to emerge as adults, they climb out of the water up a plant stem and shed their exoskeleton one final time.

[1] It is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom, where 95% of lowland peat bogs have been destroyed, and it is also covered by Biodiversity Action Plans in some British counties.

[23] A rise in average annual temperatures caused by global warming could negatively impact L. dubia by allowing invasive species such as the scarlet dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea) to occupy habitats further north of their natural range.

[25] The process of liming acidified lakes, to increase their pH and restore fish populations, also poses a threat by reducing the amount of sphagnum moss present.