Although little is known about the eating habits of the Alpine emerald, dragonflies are generally highly skilled, opportunistic predators (5) (11), detecting their insect prey by sight. Dragonflies will congregate in areas where prey is abundant and termite nests and beehives are popular feeding grounds. The larvae of dragonflies are also opportunistic predators and use their rapidly extendable ‘mask’ to capture their prey (5).
The flight period of the Alpine emerald is from mid-June to August or September, depending on the altitude and latitude of its habitat (2) (3). It can be assumed that this species, like other dragonflies, adopts the ‘wheel’ position while mating (11). This is where the male grips the back of the female’s head with the claspers on its lower abdomen, creating a circular formation during copulation (5). After mating, the female will immediately lay a clutch of eggs while skimming along the water, close to the banks (3). The eggs of the Alpine emerald hatch in four to six weeks, releasing larvae which develop over three years and eventually metamorphose into the adult form (3).