Emperor (dragonfly)

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Anax imperator
)

Emperor dragonfly
Male
Tenerife, Spain
female
Oxfordshire, England

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Family: Aeshnidae
Genus: Anax
Species:
A. imperator
Binomial name
Anax imperator
Leach, 1815
Synonyms[1]

The emperor dragonfly[2] or blue emperor[1] (Anax imperator) is a large species of hawker dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae. It is the bulkiest dragonfly in most of Europe, including the United Kingdom,[2] although exceeded by the magnificent emperor (A. immaculifrons – very marginal range in Europe)[3] and in length by females of the golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii – a species with an unusually long ovipositor).[4]

Nomenclature

The generic name Anax is from the ancient Greek ἄναξ, "lord";[5] the specific epithet imperator is the Latin for "emperor", from imperare, to command.[6]

Distribution

This dragonfly has a wide distribution; it is found throughout Africa and through most of Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, and south-western and central Asia.[1] Since the 1990s, its range has expanded in Europe, both northwards and to higher altitudes. For example, the first Scandinavian record was in 1994 in Denmark; in 2002 it was first recorded in Sweden and in 2004 first in Scotland; today it is regular in all three countries.[1][2][7]

Identification

The emperor dragonfly is a large and bulky species. It is 73–82 mm (2.9–3.2 in) long, with average being 78 mm (3.1 in) and males growing larger than females.[2][8] The average wingspan is 104 mm (4.1 in).[8] When they first emerge, both sexes appear pale green with brown markings. The legs are brown with a yellow like base. Wings are born black but grow yellow-brown when they grow. Males have a sky blue abdomen marked with a diagnostic black dorsal stripe and an apple green thorax. The thorax and head of a male is green and their prominent eyes are blue. Females have similar markings but they are mainly green.[9]

  • Male in side view
    Male in side view
  • Male in flight
    Male in flight
  • Female laying eggs
    Female laying eggs
  • Exuviae
    Exuviae
  • Emerging
    Emerging

Behaviour

They frequently fly high up into the sky in search of prey, which includes

species composition of colonized freshwater ecosystems.[7] The adult male is highly territorial, and difficult to approach.[9] In the summer months emperor dragonflies are frequent visitors to gardens, being especially prevalent in the southern counties of Great Britain
.

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T59812A72311295.en
    . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Emperor". British Dragonfly Society. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  3. ^ "Anax immaculifrons Rambur, 1842 – Magnificent Emperor". Dragonflies and Damselflies – in and around Europe. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Golden-ringed Dragonfly". British Dragonfly Society. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  5. ISBN 978-900417-418-4
    .
  6. ^ "imperator (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  7. ^
    PMID 33473626
    .
  8. ^ a b "Anax imperator (Leach, 1815)". Insects of Britain and Ireland: dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Emperor dragonfly videos, photos and facts — Anax imperator". ARKive. Archived from the original on 2015-04-09. Retrieved 2013-08-08.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emperor_(dragonfly)&oldid=1210300151"