Anax parthenope

Like the Blue and Vagrant Emperors, the Lesser Emperor has been extending its range Northwards. It's now a fairly common sight as far North as the Netherlands, even though its European home is still in the Mediterranean basin. Anax parthenope is a fairly large dragonfly. Its main distinguishing features include the yellow ring at the base of S1, its green eyes, and - on a predominantly brown abdomen - a light-blue saddle on S2 (although the latter feature may be absent in juveniles and females).

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