Females of A. viridis mainly lay eggs on the leaves of  Stratiotes aloides and occasionally on some other aquatic plants, such as Typha spp. and Sparganium spp. (Matushkina & Gorb, 2003; Rantala et al., 2004). Adult dragonflies have been found occasionally by water without S. aloides, but larvae have only been recorded in lakes with these plants (Rantala et al., 2004). In accordance with field and laboratory data of the same authors, this is possibly because the spiny leaves of S. aloides protect effectively A. viridis larvae against predatory fish (like perch, Perca fluviatilis).

Owing to the fast decline during last decades of S. aloides in Europe due to eutrophication and environmental stresses (e.g., Roelofs 1991; Smolders et al. 1996), dragonflies A. viridis become scarcer and disappear from many former distribution areas.

For more information, see:
Aquatic plants and zoophytos: aqautic soldiers (Stratiotes aloides)