Pale-spotted emperor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pale-spotted emperor |
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| Anax guttatus from French Polynesia. Male | |
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Aeschna guttata Burmeister, 1839
Anax goliathus Fraser, 1922 Anax magnus Rambur, 1842 |
The pale-spotted emperor (also known as the lesser green emperor) is a type of dragonfly. Its scientific name is Anax guttatus. This amazing insect belongs to the Aeshnidae family, which includes some of the largest dragonflies.
Where It Lives
The pale-spotted emperor dragonfly is found in many places around the world. It lives across a wide area from India all the way to Japan and Australia. You can also find it on many islands in the Pacific Ocean.
It is common in Northern Australia and parts of Africa. It also lives in countries like Bangladesh, China (including Hong Kong), Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
You can also spot this dragonfly on many Pacific islands. These include the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
Its Home (Habitat)
This dragonfly loves places with fresh water. It mostly lives near open ponds. But you can also find it in other watery spots. These include areas with slow-moving water or still water.
Sometimes, you might even see the pale-spotted emperor in cities! This shows they can adapt to different environments, even those close to people.
What It Looks Like (Description)
The pale-spotted emperor is a large and striking dragonfly. It has bright blue eyes that stand out. Its body is mostly pale green, especially its middle section (thorax). The main part of its body (abdomen) is dark brown. It has bright blue-green markings on the sides of its abdomen.
This dragonfly can be quite big. Its wingspan (the distance from one wingtip to the other) can be about 11 centimeters (about 4.3 inches). Its body can grow to about 8 centimeters (about 3.1 inches) long.
Its front wings are clear and see-through. The back wings are interesting because the inner half is brown, while the outer half is clear. The first two parts of its abdomen are pale green. The top of the second part is blue. The third part has pale green sides and a blue triangle on top.
From the fourth to the seventh parts of its abdomen, you can see pairs of bright orange spots. The last few parts (segments 8 to 10) have fewer spots. The parts at the very end of its body are dark brown.
Female pale-spotted emperors look similar to males. However, the brown patch on their hind-wings might be lighter or even missing. The blue on the top of the second abdomen part in females is often broken up by a narrow brown line.
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Male
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Female
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In flight
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Female. Museum specimen
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Dorsal view of the right wings of a male
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