Emperor Dragonfly
Anax imperator
Least ConcernFast Facts
About
The emperor dragonfly is one of the largest and most powerful dragonflies in Europe, the male sporting a vivid sky-blue abdomen and the female a green one. A commanding aerial predator, it patrols ponds, lakes and canals with tireless, darting flight.
Its enormous compound eyes, which nearly meet across the top of the head, give it near all-round vision for spotting prey on the wing.
Behaviour
Emperor dragonflies catch and often eat their prey entirely in mid-air, scooping up insects with their spiny, basket-like legs. Males aggressively defend stretches of water against rivals.
The aquatic larva is a fearsome underwater hunter in its own right, seizing tadpoles and small fish with a rapidly extending jaw before emerging to transform into the winged adult.
Did you know?
- Dragonflies are among the most successful predators in nature, catching most prey they pursue
- Each compound eye contains tens of thousands of individual lenses
- The larva can shoot out a hinged lower jaw to grab prey in an instant
- They can fly backwards, hover and change direction with astonishing agility
Distribution
Europe, North Africa and parts of western and central Asia
