About Aeshna affinis Vander Linden, 1820
Identification: Aeshna affinis is a small member of the Aeshna genus, and it is extremely similar to the related species Aeshna mixta, with which it is easily confused. As its common name implies, male Aeshna affinis have blue eyes and blue markings on the abdomen. Unlike A. mixta, A. affinis does not have the yellow T-shaped mark that appears on the top of the second abdominal segment in A. mixta. The markings on the sides of the thorax also differ between the two species. In A. affinis, the sides of the thorax are greenish yellow, with fine black lines running along the sutures. In A. mixta, the sides of the thorax are a similar base color, but the yellow sections are separated by dark brown areas, giving the thorax the appearance of having two broad yellow stripes.
Distribution and habitat: Aeshna affinis occurs in southern and central Europe, throughout the Mediterranean region, North Africa, the Middle East, and across Asia all the way to China. It can be found on many Mediterranean islands, including Menorca, Corsica, and Sicily. Where A. affinis overlaps in range with the more northerly distributed A. mixta, A. affinis is less common. It is a migrant species, so it can be found further north than its core range during favorable years.
