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Species account
Blue Emperor
(Anax imperator)
Leach (1815)
Hawkers (Aeshnidae)
BLEM
24806
Stor Kejserguldsmed (dk)
Libélula Emperador (es)
Blå Kejsartrollslända (se)
Synonyms: Emperor Dragonfly (gb)
Measurements:
To 66-84mm Ab 50-61mm Hw 45-52mm
Flight period:
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EU | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Identification:
One of the largest dragonflies in Denmark, and Europe. Flies around tirelessly in search of food or a mate. Mostly seen as single individuals.
Male has blue-green eyes and blue markings on entire abdomen except for S1 which is green. It also has two blue 'emblems' in front of the base of the wings.
The female has greenish eyes and emblems and normally a dull green color to markings on abdomen.
Male has blue-green eyes and blue markings on entire abdomen except for S1 which is green. It also has two blue 'emblems' in front of the base of the wings.
The female has greenish eyes and emblems and normally a dull green color to markings on abdomen.
Similar species:
Life stages:
The mating takes place away from water, in bushes and trees, and lasts for about 10 minutes. The solo female then inserts the eggs into plant material just below the surface. The eggs hatch after 3-5 weeks and the larvae live in-between the water plants and develop during 1-2 years. The imago-transformation takes place both near the water or some way away in nearby bushes or thickets.
Distribution:
Most of Europe; absent most of Fennoscandinavia north of Stockholm. Also absent northern Ireland and Scotland. Present in all of Africa and Eurasia to C Asia including parts of India. Also present in Mauritius, Oman and parts of Saudi Arabia. Also Cape Verde islands and the Canary islands. In Denmark present since 1994 and in all regions.
Habitat:
Behavior:
Status:
LC(global)
LC(eu) LC(dk). First discovered in Denmark in 1994, it is an efficient immigrant that subsequently has occupied all parts of Denmark, as it is expanding globally.
Host plants:
Vandaks (Potamogeton)
Tusindblad (Myriophyllum)
Vandpest (Elodea)
Dead plant material
Tusindblad (Myriophyllum)
Vandpest (Elodea)
Dead plant material
Comment:
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442
(2 photos)
2020-08-13 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Ellevehøjvej. A pleasant surprise to have this male perching right in front of me. Normally I only seem them flying or taking flight from a good distance. |
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630
(1 photos)
2021-06-07 Store Hareskov (nordsjælland), Denmark Imago ♂ The well-marked black markings on the abdomen should make this a male. |
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511
(4 photos)
2021-07-06 Sorthat Skovområde (bornholm), Denmark Imago ♂ Safirsøen. |
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510
(2 photos)
2021-07-07 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Fasanskoven. Mature male with the strong blue color on the abdomen. Even when perched the characteristic upward curve at the base of the abdomen is obvious. |
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512
(2 photos)
2021-07-07 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Fasanskoven. Another male than 510, but in the same spot. Unusual to me to find two individuals of this species perched for a longer time. But conditions were favorable in a protected clearing with the hot sun baking on an otherwise windy day. |
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817
(1 photos)
2022-06-18 Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark Imago ♂ |
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1147
(2 photos)
2022-07-16 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Pinseskoven. |
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1132
(1 photos)
2022-08-17 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ |
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2113
(3 photos)
2023-08-02 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Granathøj. Both a male and a female were present showing only slight interest in each other. And no bother to the affinis [Sydlig Mosaikguldsmed] males either. |
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2197
(5 photos)
(1 videos)
2023-08-16 Travbaneparken, Denmark Imago ♂ Rescued after being caught in the surface vegetation of the big basin. Took off after shaking the wings dry. Hands on |
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2266
(1 photos)
2023-08-25 Travbaneparken, Denmark Imago ♂ Plejehjemsdammen. |
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2969
(2 photos)
2024-07-19 Map Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♂ Granatsø. |
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515
(4 photos)
2021-07-06 Sorthat Skovområde (bornholm), Denmark Imago ♀ Safirsøen. Egg-dropping without the male present is unique among the anax dragonflies. |
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513
(2 photos)
2021-07-06 Sorthat Skovområde (bornholm), Denmark Imago ♀ Safirsøen. Think it is a female with not so blue eyes and a lot of black on top of the abdomen. |
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818
(1 photos)
2022-06-28 Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark Imago ♀ Krebseklo-vandhullet |
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820
(2 photos)
2022-06-28 Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark Imago ♀ Krebseklo-vandhullet |
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821
(1 photos)
2022-06-28 Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark Imago ♀ Krebseklo-vandhullet. Egg-laying without male interaction as is characteristic for this Anax emperor. |
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1713
(1 photos)
2023-06-30 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago ♀ Egg-laying in the Landskabelig Kanal. |
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2805
(4 photos)
2024-06-21 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago ♀ Bagstien, Pinseskoven. A young female without much blue coloration, though some is starting to shine through on top of both frons and thorax. |
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2850
(1 photos)
2024-07-06 Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark Imago ♀ Den tørre eng over krebseklo-vandhullet. Some females are strongly colored and can be difficult to separate in flight, why I chased this one until it perched. The brownish cast to the dark parts on top of the abdomen is good for the female as is of course the shape of the appendages. |
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2970
(2 photos)
2024-07-19 Map Søvang, Denmark Imago ♀ Vandhullet. Egg-laying. Two different females. |
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819
(1 photos)
2022-06-28 Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark Imago Krebseklo-vandhullet. Two with a Green-eyed Hawker and a Four-spotted Chaser. |
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2720
(5 photos)
2024-05-24 Travbaneparken, Denmark Exuvia Store regnvandsbassin. Saw 10 similar exuvias in the two basins, but no imagos around, why they must go far to seek better foraging grounds. The same was the case on Amager Fælled a few days later. Here they normally fly along the DLK, but maybe the steady eastern wind has made it less favorable to forage in these parts. Or it might also be that I haven't been aware of the exuvias in earlier years and the vanishing-behavior is as it has always been. Length: 50 mm. |
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2922
(4 photos)
2024-08-05 Kongelundsområdet, Denmark Imago Nordskoven. Found these three wings lying on the dike with no traces of the rest of the animal - eaten by a bird or fallen prey to a cannibalistic congener. Likely. This species because of the size of the wings, the size of the wing mark, the elongated shape of the Triangle field (marked pink in photo 3) in the right hind-wing and the shape of the Rspl vein (Radial Supplement Vein - also highlighted with pink in photo 3) that at the end points toward the [missing] tip of the wing. I was quick to call it a female because it didn't have an anal triangle in the hindwing, but it appears that anax males don't have it either, though normally present in aeshnid males. |