Emperor Dragonfly
The emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) is a large dragonfly of Europe, Africa and Asia. The male has a bright blue abdomen with a black stripe, and the female is green. It is among the largest dragonflies in Britain.
The emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) is a large dragonfly of Europe, Africa and Asia. The male has a bright blue abdomen with a black stripe, and the female is green. It is among the largest dragonflies in Britain.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Emperor Dragonfly in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Patrolling a Pond
Males fly patrols over a pond, chasing off rivals and intercepting females. Females lay eggs by dipping their abdomen into the stems of aquatic plants. The larvae hunt tadpoles and small fish for a year or two.
Moving North
The emperor has expanded its range northward in Britain and Europe as temperatures have risen, an example of a species responding to climate warming. See Climate change.
Relatives
It belongs to the same genus as the common green darner of North America. See Common Green Darner.
Emperor Dragonfly at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Anax imperator |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Odonata |
| Family | Aeshnidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Hexapoda (Insects) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Large blue-and-green aerial hunter with huge wraparound compound eyes; holds its four wings outstretched at rest. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2016 |
| Order | Odonata |
| Larval habitat | Ponds and lakes |
See Also
- Common Green Darner — a close relative
- Climate change — range shifts