Emperor dragonfly or Blue emperor - Anax imperator (Leach,1815) - Cyprus
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The emperor dragonfly or blue emperor (Anax imperator) is a large species of hawker dragonfly
of the family Aeshnidae
, averaging 78 millimetres (3.1 in) in length. It is found mainly in Europe
and nearby Africa
and Asia
.
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They frequently fly high up into the sky in search of prey, which includes butterflies
, Four-spotted Chasers
and tadpoles; small prey is eaten while flying. They breed in a variety of aquatic habitats from large ponds to dykes, but they require a plentiful supply of vegetation in the water. The females lay the eggs into plants such as pondweed
, and always lay alone. The male is highly territorial, and difficult to approach
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 with age. 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.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.PhotoS Potamia, 7/5/2015 by George Konstantinou
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