Aeshna juncea (Linnaeus, 1758)

It can be easily separated from the congeners by its large size (65-80 mm), basically dark brown coloration, thin and yellowish antehumeral stripes and blue (in males) or yellow (in females) abdominal spots.

It flies from the end of June to the end of September.

It can be observed mainly in still waters at middle or high altitude (beyond 2700 meters above sea level in Switzerland) in lakes, ponds and bogs, especially those with aquatic or riparian vegetation.

In Europe it is a dragonfly bound to northern and mountain areas. It can be found also in Asia and northern America. This species is widespread in the Cuneo Alps, where one can observe it almost in every lake with riparian vegetation.