The Female Emperor Dragonfly In Egg Laying Mode Attended by A Damselfly
The Emperor Dragonfly is Britain’s bulkiest Dragonfly and one of the largest dragonfly species in Europe. Its bright colours and active habit make it very obvious when hunting over medium to large water bodies. Both sexes have a bright, apple-green thorax and green or blue eyes. The costa is bright yellow. They often fly with the rear of the abdomen bent slightly downwards. The male has a sky blue abdomen with a central dark The female has a green abdomen, similarly marked, which may become blue in warm weather. They are mostly associated with large, well vegetated ponds and lakes, but may be found over canals and slow moving rivers. They are widespread in Southern England and Southern Wales, now increasing their range northwards. The Emperor Dragonfly flies high up looking for insect prey such as butterflies and chaser dragonflies. It catches its prey in mid-air and may eat on the wing. They breed in a variety of aquatic habitats from large ponds to dykes, but they require a plentiful supply of vegetation in the water. The females lay the eggs into plants such as pondweed, as shown here, and always lay alone. The male is highly territorial, rarely settles and is difficult to approach.
Size: 3450px × 2465px
Location: Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire, England
Photo credit: © John Porter LRPS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: anax, blue, britain, bulky, colorful, colourful, damselfly, dragonfly, dykes, egg, eggs, emperor, england, europe, female, flying, green, imperator, insect, large, largest, laying, pond, pondweed, produce, production, reproduction, spawn, territorial, wales, water, wild, wildlife, yellow
