Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius, 1798)

A relatively small dragonfly, with abdomen 25-38 mm in length. Juveniles are brown-yellowish, and the wings are completely yellow in females and only at the base in males. With age wing coloration fade out. The thorax becomes brown-reddish in males, the abdomen blue. Females are mainly yellow-brown, but can become even brown-oliva colored. The pterostigma is very large and yellow.

It flies from May to September-October.

Usually it occurs in slow flowing watercourses or ditches with shallow water. O. coerulescens prefers waters with rich riparian vegetation.

This species is widespread in Europe, more uniformly in the south. It is absent in northern Scandinavia. As the congeners, it is widespread in suitable areas in the plain and hills in the Cuneo region.