Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope)

• English name: Lesser Emperor
• German name: Kleine Königslibelle
• French name: Anax napolitain
• Dutch name: Zuidelijke keizerlibel
• Swedish name: Mindre kejsartrollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: Sormusukonkorento
• Danish name: Lille kejserguldsmed
• Italian name: Imperatore minore
• Czech name: šídlo tmavé
• Slovenian name: Modroriti spremljevalec
• Bulgarian name: Тъмен пъстролет

Lesser Emperor
(Anax parthenope)

Not present

Present before 1990

Present after 1990

Present before and after 1990

Present after 2015

Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies

General		• a very large species, reasonably common in the south but progressively rare towards the north
Classification		• suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Aeshnidae
Conservation status		• IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern
Scientific name		• Anax parthenope (Selys, 1839)
Name genus		• Anax: from Grk. ἄναξ = master, ruler, king
Name species		• parthenope: from Grk. Παρθενόπη, an ancient Greek name for today's city of Naples, near which the first specimens were collected
Distribution		• click or tap the Map button above
Habitat		• well-vegetated lakes
Dimensions		• typical body length: 62-75 mm; hindwing: 44-51 mm
Notes		• the female oviposits in tandem, contact-guarded by the male
		• often shares its habitat with the slightly larger A. imperator and tends to lose out in conflicts with that species
		• aeshnids are 'fliers': they spend a lot of time on the wing and seldom hang up for a rest
Both sexes	Head	➤ the dark mark on top of the frons is small and triangular in shape
	Thorax	• the thorax is typically brown, with only the thinnest of dark lines on the side and without an antehumeral stripe
Male	Head	➤ the eyes are green
	Abdomen	• the abdomen is brown, beige or greenish, with a thick dark mid-dorsal line
		➤ there is a yellow ring between the brown thorax (and S1) and the sky-blue saddle on S2
Female	Head	• the eyes are pale green, yellow or brown
	Abdomen	• the abdomen is typically beige or brown, with a thick dark mid-dorsal line
Photographs		• our photos below were made in Italy, Spain, Greece and Tunisia