In 2015 I made an unsuccessful first attempt to see the extremely rare Siberian Bluets (Coenagrion hylas) in Austria but then I was too late in the season. On a second attempt in June 2022 I ended up in the middle of their flight season: there were dozens of specimens flying, mostly males who were feverishly looking for females and barely perched. Only a few European populations are known to exist, all located in a small area in the northern Austrian Alps. The European populations are considered to be subspecies Coenagrion hylas freyi. Their extensive black markings on abdomen and thorax and their odd diurnal activity pattern make this glacial relict a unique addition to our dragonfly fauna.
in and around Europe
