This stunning dragonfly is easy to recognise thanks to its bold yellow-and-black striped body and vibrant green eyes. With a body length of up to 8cm and a wingspan over 10cm, it’s one of the UK’s largest dragonfly species. And despite its size and fierce appearance, the golden-ringed dragonfly is completely harmless to humans.

Found in acidic streams and wet heathlands, these dragonflies are superb aerial hunters. Adults can often be seen patrolling territory or hovering with great control as they watch for prey. Their diet includes midges, flies, and even smaller dragonflies - snatched mid-air using their bristled legs.

What makes them truly fascinating is their long, hidden life underwater. Golden-ringed dragonflies spend up to five years as aquatic nymphs before emerging as adults. These nymphs are ferocious predators too, ambushing small aquatic creatures like tadpoles and insect larvae. When they’re ready to transform, they crawl up a plant stem at the water’s edge, and their skin splits to release the adult dragonfly - a magical metamorphosis.

The golden-ringed is one of the few British dragonflies to lay eggs directly into stream beds, using a sharp ovipositor to insert them into gravel or soft sediment. Observing their egg-laying can be a rare treat, as the female hovers repeatedly over the same patch of water, dipping her tail beneath the surface.

Adults are on the wing from May through to September, and although they rely on clean streams to breed, they will often fly far from water. Heathlands provide excellent hunting grounds. You might see them darting over purple heather or basking on warm paths.

Golden-ringed dragonflies are territorial and solitary, often seen patrolling the same stretch of stream or path repeatedly. Their powerful flight and bright markings make them easy to spot if you’re in the right place at the right time.

These dragonflies are a great indicator of healthy wetland and heathland ecosystems, and their presence is a good sign that the surrounding habitats are thriving.