About the Dragonflies
Just like with Bird– and Butterfly–fauna, central Sweden offers an internationally interesting combination of Dragonflies and Damselflies.
The many wetlands and shallow lakes of the Black River Valley area, the coniferous Bergslagen with plenty of wet bogs and myres, the nearby Baltic coast and
the reed fringed lagoons of lake Mälaren, surrounded by an open, deciduous landscape, together offer a rich variety of habitats and hence species.
From giant to tiny
The giants among Dragonflies – the Hawkers – are impressive and beautiful creatures, and perhaps the biggest international attraction of the
Dragonfly–fauna of Central Sweden. Among no less than 8 species of the Aeshna genus, two – the
Baltic– and the
Green Hawkers
– are among the least distributed Dragonflies in Europe.
Here they have some of Europes most important breeding areas.
Here you also find the tiny
Pygmy Damselfly or Sedgling (
Nehalennia speciosa), the midget among Damselflies and one of Europes most endangered Damselfly species,
extinct in most of it´s western range.
Scandinavian specialities
Other Scandinavian specialities include Eurasian Baskettail/ Two-spotted Dragonfly (
Epitheca bimaculata) several Leucorrhinia-species,
including small–, Ruby– and
Yellow–spotted Whiteface, topped up with rare
Lilypad– and
Dark Whiteface.
The Emeralds are also well represented with not only the widespread Downy Emeralds, but also Brilliant–, Northern– and Yellow-spotted Emeralds.
Among a good handful of the numerous Sympetrids a couple are non–British species like Yellow–winged Darter (
Sympetrum flavoleum) and Moustached Darter
(
Sympetrum vulgatum)
Add to that more good species like Blue/Scarce Chaser (
Libellula fulva), Small Pincertail (
Onychogomphus forcipatus), Common Clubtail (
Gomphus vulgatissimus),
Keeled Skimmer (
Orthetrum coerulescens), Common Goldenring (
Corduelegaster boltoni) and you realise that central eastern Sweden is up for a good Dragonfly holiday.
CHECK OUT OUR DRAGONFLY-TOURS