Brun kejserguldsmed (Anax ephippiger)
• Scientific name: Anax ephippiger (Burmeister, 1839)
• English name: Vagrant Emperor
• German name: Schabracken-Königslibelle
• French name: Anax porte-selle
• Dutch name: Zadellibel
• Swedish name: Brun kejsartrollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: Brun kejserguldsmed
• Italian name: Imperatore migrante
• Czech name: šídlo hnědé
• Slovenian name: Afriški minljivec
• Bulgarian name: Прелетен пъстролет
• Typical length: 61-70 mm
• Hindwing: 43-48 mm
The Vagrant Emperor is essentially an African/Asian species which occasionally ventures into Europe. Its presence in Europe tends to be concentrated in the Mediterranean but it has been seen as far North as Iceland. Anax ephippiger is a fairly large dragonfly whose eyes, thorax and abdomen are predominantly brown. The only distinguishing feature to break this brown 'monotony' is the so-called saddle on S2. In mature males this saddle is a bright light blue; in immature males and females it's a pale violet or may be absent altogether. Nearly all our photographs of this species to date are of young animals, demonstrating its reproduction at this Italian site. After copulation the pair stays together and the female oviposits in tandem. [Update: in March 2016 we finally managed to renew our acquaintance with this beautiful species, when we discovered two sites in the south of Italy with a small handful of mature individuals. Nearly all of the photographs below are now of those mature animals.]
LineDrawing: the male's appendages in dorsal view.
