It has a body length of 34 to 39 mm with a wingspan of 50 to 64 mm.
The abdomen has black spots on the upper side on segments S8 and S9, segments S3 to S7 have a black stripe on the side. Their legs are black.
The male has a blood-red, club-shaped abdomen and a bright red face. The thorax is reddish brown.
In contrast, the female is yellow and has black markings.
It colonises a wide range of standing and slow-flowing waters. It is important to it that there is a well-developed siltation zone.
Literature:
- K.-D. Dijkstra, Libellen Europas, 2. Auflage, Haupt Verlag Bern 2021, ISBN 3-258-08219-6, S. 286
- K. Sternberg / R. Buchwald, Libellen Baden-Württembergs, Bd. 2, Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-8001-3514-0, S. 587–601
- H. Wildermuth, A. Martens, Die Libellen Europas, Quelle & Meyer Wiebelsheim 2018, 3-494-01690-9, S. 775 ff
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