Magnificent emperor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Magnificent emperor |
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| Male in Tamil Nadu, India | |
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| Female in Kerala, India | |
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The magnificent emperor (scientific name: Anax immaculifrons) is a really big and beautiful dragonfly. It's also sometimes called the blue darner. This amazing insect belongs to a family of dragonflies called Aeshnidae. You can mostly find it in parts of West Asia and South Asia. It's actually the largest dragonfly found in Europe, but it's quite rare there, only living on a few Aegean Islands and Cyprus.
What Does the Magnificent Emperor Look Like?
The magnificent emperor is a very large dragonfly! It can be about 80 to 86 millimeters (around 3 to 3.4 inches) long. Its wings can spread out to about 120 millimeters (nearly 5 inches) wide.
This dragonfly is mostly bluish-green. It has bright sapphire-blue eyes that really stand out. Its body, called the thorax, is also bluish-green. The long part of its body, the abdomen, is a pale reddish-brown with black markings.
Its wings are clear, but they have a slight amber-yellow tint. The first part of its abdomen is completely black. The second part is a pretty turquoise-blue, with a black mark that looks like a seagull flying. The third part is turquoise-blue at the base and black at the end. The rest of the abdomen (parts 4 to 8) are reddish-brown at the base and black at the end. The very last parts (9 and 10) are black on top.
For a long time, a similar reddish dragonfly from Southeast Asia was thought to be the same species. But in 2022, scientists realized it was actually a different species, now called A. aurantiacus.
Where Does It Live and How Does It Reproduce?
You can find the magnificent emperor near slow-moving streams in hills or mountains. This is where they like to live and have their babies.
Female dragonflies lay their eggs by carefully placing them inside reeds that grow out of the water. This helps keep the eggs safe until they hatch.
Want to Learn More?
- Emperor or blue emperor (Anax imperator), another type of large dragonfly found in Europe
- List of odonata species of India
- List of odonata of Kerala
