Above:  A female Broad-bodied Chaser, perched on the stem of a dandelion.  

As the name implies, the body of this chaser dragonfly is shorter and broader than many.  The body has an almost metallic bronzy colouring.  The male, which I have not yet managed to photograph, is a blue colour, easily defined from the Emperor by its smaller overall size, and chunky body.   

    

Side views of the broad-bodied chaser 

 

The Broad-bodied Chaser is one of a number of dragonflies in the Chaser group.  The Chasers, Darters, and Skimmers are recognised by their darting flight, and habit of perching in an upright position in the plants close to he water's edge.  They are of small to medium size. 

Several of the dragonflies have the back of their head shaped and coloured in a way that will deter predators who might be creeping up above them - such as larger dragonflies or birds.  They are certainly most vulnerable from attacks from above, especially when perched, although their bulbous eyes give the a very wide field of vision.  The back of the broad-bodied chaser's head clearly depicts a rather vicious looking, open-jawed face, which can be seen in the picture below.  It might not fool all potential attackers, but would certainly stop many from picking a fight!   

 

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