---
title: "What the sources say about the Emperor Dragonfly | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "47 claims from the Emperor Dragonfly profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Emperor Dragonfly (*Anax imperator*)

> 47 claims from the Emperor Dragonfly profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Emperor Dragonfly](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/emperor-dragonfly/)

## Vinko et al. (2024). Anax imperator. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T59812A208815239.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2024-1.rlts.t59812a208815239.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats.conservationStatus) |

## Quenta Herrera et al. (2018). Temperature effects on ballistic prey capture by a dragonfly larva. Ecology and Evolution.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3975

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A big dragonfly whose larva fires a hooked mouthpart at prey, too fast for a water flea to escape | prey did not have the opportunity to move and/or escape due to the high velocity of the predator during the attack (note: tagline) |
| A larva with a labial mask, a hooked mouthpart that shoots out at prey | Dragonfly larvae capture their prey by extending at a high velocity their labial mask which has movable hooks (note: stats.superpower) |
| Dragonfly larvae catch prey by shooting out a labial mask, a mouthpart with movable hooks | Dragonfly larvae capture their prey by extending at a high velocity their labial mask which has movable hooks |
| Scientists call this kind of strike ballistic, like the tongue of a chameleon or a frog | This type of attack is called ballistic and is similar to tongue projection in chameleons and frogs. |
| emperor larvae struck at 0.03 to 0.25 metres per second | A. imperator is more than 10 times faster than Daphnia , with striking velocities ranging from 0.03 to 0.25 m/s |
| more than 10 times faster than the water fleas they hunted could swim | A. imperator is more than 10 times faster than Daphnia |
| The prey had no time to escape | prey did not have the opportunity to move and/or escape due to the high velocity of the predator during the attack |
| about 40% of mistakes fell short of the target and about 60% aimed above or below it | some 40% of mistakes were undershooting and some 60% aimed below or above the target |
| An earlier study of Anax larvae, the emperor's genus, timed the mask at 25 to 40 milliseconds to extend fully | the time needed for Anax larvae to fully extend their labial mask (range 25–40 ms |
| Whether it caught them depended mainly on aim | the capture success mainly depended on the accuracy of the predator in capturing the prey |
| An Anax larva's labial mask shoots out in 25 to 40 milliseconds | the time needed for Anax larvae to fully extend their labial mask (range 25–40 ms (note: vibe.reason animal clause, same source as the body claim "An earlier study of Anax larvae, the emperor's genus, timed ") |
| in lab tests the water fleas it struck had no time to escape | prey did not have the opportunity to move and/or escape due to the high velocity of the predator during the attack (note: vibe.reason animal clause, same source as the body claim "The prey had no time to escape") |

## Minot, Le Gall & Huste (2019). Biometry of the large dragonfly Anax imperator (Odonata: Aeshnidae): A study of traits from larval development to adults. European Journal of Entomology.

https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2019.031

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In a study in Normandy, France, mature females averaged 1.26 g and mature males 0.97 g | mature females (1.26 ± 0.09 g) were signi fi cantly heavier than mature males (0.97 ± 0.07 g |
| Big, but about a gram | mature females (1.26 ± 0.09 g) were signi fi cantly heavier than mature males (0.97 ± 0.07 g (note: heading) |

## Sharkey, Partridge & Roberts (2015). Polarization sensitivity as a visual contrast enhancer in the Emperor dragonfly larva, Anax imperator (Leach, 1815). Journal of Experimental Biology.

https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.122507

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In fresh water, light is often partly polarized, meaning its waves vibrate mostly in one direction | partially polarized lighting conditions that occur naturally in freshwater environments (note: faq) |
| In lab tests the larvae tracked a moving striped pattern better through such light, as if the pattern's contrast had been raised by 8% | Animals were shown to track the movement of a square-wave grating more closely when it was viewed through the horizontally polarized light field, equivalent to a similar increase in tracking ability observed in response to an 8% increase in the intensity contrast of the stimuli. (note: faq) |

## Herzog et al. (2016). The complete mitochondrial genome of the emperor dragonfly Anax imperator LEACH, 1815 (Odonata : Aeshnidae) via NGS sequencing. Mitochondrial DNA Part B.

https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2016.1186523

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The emperor is widespread across the Old World, in all types of standing and slow-running fresh water | is a widespread and common species in the old world inhabiting all types of standing- and slow-running freshwater ecosystems |
| It was one of the first dragonflies whose recent shift northward was noticed and put down to climate change | It was one of the first odonate species for which a recent range shift northwards (e.g. Parr 2010 ) and towards higher altitudes (Westermann 2003 ; Hunger et al. 2006 ) was noticed due to global climate change (note: faq) |
| It was first recorded in Sweden in 2002 | The first records of this species in Sweden were 2002 (note: faq) |
| it crossed 970 km northward through Scandinavia in only 11 years | In only 11 years A. imperator crossed a distance of 970 km northwards through Scandinavia (note: faq) |

## Josten, Gorb & Büsse (2022). The mouthparts of the adult dragonfly Anax imperator (Insecta: Odonata), functional morphology and feeding kinematics. Journal of Morphology.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21497

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Adults have biting-chewing mouthparts | Like all adult dragonflies, A. imperator possesses carnivorous-type of biting-chewing mouthparts. |

## Emperor Dragonfly. British Dragonfly Society.

https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/emperor-dragonfly/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| an adult is about 78 mm long | Adult Identification Length: 78mm |
| Britain's bulkiest dragonfly | Britain’s bulkiest Dragonfly. |
| The larva reaches 45 to 56 mm | Emperors have the largest larvae: 45-56mm |
| Emperors rarely settle, even eating prey in flight | It rarely settles, even eating its prey in flight. |
| The female lays her eggs alone, in floating pondweed | The female lays her eggs, alone, in floating pondweed. |
| In Britain it lives in Wales and most of England, and it has been recorded in Scotland since 2003 | Found across Wales, most of England; its distribution has greatly increased since the 1990s. The species has been recorded in Scotland since 2003 |
| Both have an apple-green thorax and a dark line down the abdomen | Apple-green thorax. Green or blue eyes. Central dark line down the abdomen. (note: faq) |
| The male's abdomen is blue and the female's is usually green, though hers is occasionally blue | Male: Blue abdomen. Female: Green abdomen. Occasionally blue. (note: faq) |

## Duncan. Species of the day: Emperor Dragonfly. Sussex Wildlife Trust.

https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/news/species-of-the-day-emperor-dragonfly

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Flying insects, large butterflies and other dragonflies | a taste for large butterflies and even other dragonflies (note: stats.diet) |
| larvae take tadpoles and small fish | will gorge on anything smaller than themselves, including tadpoles and small fish (note: stats.diet) |
| it will gorge on anything smaller than itself, tadpoles and small fish included | will gorge on anything smaller than themselves, including tadpoles and small fish |
| An adult may live for a couple of months or more | an adult Emperor may live for a couple of months or more |
| the Sussex Wildlife Trust says it spends around ten times longer underwater as a larva | it'll spend around ten times longer living underwater as an aggressive predatory larvae |
| Male emperors are very territorial | The male Emperor has a supremely territorial nature. |
| describes them clashing with other dragonflies in the air | he’ll viciously clash with other Dragonflies in bouts of aerial supremacy |
| Their menu includes large butterflies and other dragonflies | a taste for large butterflies and even other dragonflies |

## Anax imperator - Emperor dragonfly. First Nature.

https://www.first-nature.com/insects/o-anax-imperator.php

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Mainly large, weedy ponds, lakes, canals and slow streams across most of Europe, eastern Asia and much of Africa | Mainly seen over large, densely-vegetated ponds, flooded gravel pits, shallow lakes, canals, large ditches and slow-flowing streams (note: stats.habitat) |
| Mainly large, weedy ponds, lakes, canals and slow streams across most of Europe, eastern Asia and much of Africa | On the mainland the Emperor Dragonfly is found throughout most of Europe and eastern Asia; it is also a common sight in much of Africa. (note: stats.habitat) |
| The emperor dragonfly, Anax imperator, starts life underwater | the juvenile insects spend either one or two years as larvae, eventually emerging as winged adults during the night |
| a wingspan of about 10.5 cm | a wingspan of about 10.5cm |
| They patrol the water's edge and chase off intruders | The males are territorial and patrol the water margins, chasing off intruders. |
| It is found throughout most of Europe and eastern Asia and is common in much of Africa | On the mainland the Emperor Dragonfly is found throughout most of Europe and eastern Asia; it is also a common sight in much of Africa. |
| One or two years | the juvenile insects spend either one or two years as larvae (note: faq) |
| Its eggs hatch after about three weeks | The eggs hatch after about three weeks (note: faq) |
| it emerges, during the night, as a winged adult | eventually emerging as winged adults during the night (note: faq) |