Real photograph Emperor dragonfly
Anax imperator
say it EM-per-ur DRAG-un-fly
Why we love them
The emperor dragonfly is a big, powerful dragonfly with a long body and shining wings. The males have a beautiful sky-blue tummy, while the females are more of a soft green. It is one of the largest dragonflies you can find in Europe, and it also lives across parts of Africa and Asia.
You will usually spot an emperor dragonfly zipping over ponds, lakes and slow streams on warm, sunny days. It is a strong and speedy flier that can hover in one spot, dart forwards, and even fly backwards, all with a soft rustle of its wings.
This dragonfly is a brilliant hunter of the air. It chases down flies, butterflies and other insects and catches them while everyone is still flying. It holds its bristly legs together like a little basket to scoop up its meal, and it can even eat while on the wing.
The emperor dragonfly does not begin its life with wings. It starts as an egg in the water, then hatches into a nymph, a hungry underwater hunter that eats tiny water creatures and even tadpoles. After a year or two the nymph climbs up a plant stem, splits its old skin, and unfolds a brand-new pair of wings.
Emperor dragonflies are doing well, and in some places they are even spreading to new ponds. As long as their water stays clean and healthy, these flying jewels will keep patrolling the skies above the water on sunny summer days.
My home
Pond, lake, canal, marsh
Where I live
Africa, Asia, Europe
What I eat
Flies, butterflies, other insects, tadpoles
How long I am
0.073–0.082 m
How long I live
1–2 years
The emperor dragonfly is one of the biggest dragonflies in Europe, growing about as long as your finger with a wingspan of around ten centimetres.
It catches and eats other flying insects while it is still zooming through the air, using its bristly legs like a basket.
Before it can fly, a young emperor dragonfly lives underwater as a hunting nymph for a year or two, then climbs out and grows its wings.
Every emperor dragonfly can feel happy, scared and loved — just like you.
Looking after my friends
Doing wellThere are lots of these animals in the wild right now. That is good news!
You can help by learning their names, keeping wild places clean, and telling someone why this animal matters.
Where this came from
- Anax imperator (Emperor Dragonfly) — Red List Assessment — IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Anax imperator — Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- Emperor dragonfly — Wikipedia
