Description
Length: 39-48mm
Flight period: May to September (occasionally late April and early October)
This rather uniformly brown dragonfly is quite active in late spring and summer. The sexes are alike with a brown abdomen becoming darker towards the rear, a brown thorax and brown eyes. The is a row of yellow spots along each side of the abdomen. The most noticeable feature is the colouring of the wings. The nodus (half-way along the leading edge of each wing) has a very dark spot, which gives the insect its name. The wing bases are also very dark and a colour form praenubila has a general darkening of the wing tips.