The males are often seen patrolling by a ponds edge or river, where they fight away intruders, crashing into rival males and spiralling through the air. The females are quite inconspicuous when they lay their eggs, but they sometimes give away their spot by clattering up from the reeds. If you look carefully you can sometimes find them ovipositing (laying eggs) into some moss, reeds or rotten wood. The males are sometimes very curious and come flying up to you, allowing a close view.

Distinguished from other Hawkers by the two 'head-light' markings on the thorax and also by the paired spots on the last two abdominal segments merging.
 
 

The Southern Hawker breeds in still or slow-flowing water, but will wander widely, and is often seen in gardens and open woodland. This is an inquisitive species and will approach people. Aeshna cyanea is typically associated with small lakes and garden ponds. The males tend to be very inquisitive and will often fly up to an observer to check them out. 

The adult eats various insects, caught on the wing. The nymphs feed on aquatic insects, tadpoles and small fish ambushed in the pond they frequent until they emerge as adults in July and August after three years' development.
 

The eggs are laid by jabbing the abdomen into rotting vegetation or wood. The eggs hatch in the spring, after being laid in the previous summer or autumn. The larvae live on small tadpoles and invertebrates. They emerge after 2-3 years.

Adults fly from July to start of October.
 
 
 
 
 

Northern African populations are genetically distinct from the European populations (based on ecology, but no genetic data to date; Samraoui, pers. comm.). It is highly localised in northern Africa, where it is only known from two localities in Algeria. The population is severely fragmented. The presence if the species in Morocco is uncertain and needs to be confirmed.