Anax immaculifrons

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Magnificent emperor
Anax immaculifrons Blue Darner from Valparai IMG 8478 a.jpg
Male in Tamil Nadu, India
Anax immaculifrons by Bala Chandran.jpg
Female in Kerala, India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Family: Aeshnidae
Genus: Anax
Species:
A. immaculifrons
Binomial name
Anax immaculifrons
Rambur, 1842

Anax immaculifrons, [2] the magnificent emperor, [1] or blue darner, [3] is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. Almost all its range is in West and South Asia (the population further east in Asia is now recognized as a separate species, A. aurantiacus ); it is Europe's largest dragonfly but very marginal in the continent where restricted to some Aegean Islands. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Description

A. immaculifrons has a length of 80–86 mm (3.1–3.4 in) and a wingspan of about 120 mm (4.7 in). [5] [7] It is a large, bluish green dragonfly with sapphire-blue eyes, bluish-green thorax, and pale reddish-brown abdomen marked with black. Its thorax is pale bluish-green on dorsum with a blackish-brown mid-dorsal carina and turquoise-blue laterally. There is a narrow black stripe over humeral suture and a very broad one over the postero-lateral suture with a narrow black posterior border on metepimeron. Wings are transparent with amber-yellow tint. Segment 1 of the abdomen is entirely black. Segment 2 is turquoise-blue, with a mid-dorsal transverse mark shaped like a sea-gull in flight. Segment 3 has its basal half turquoise-blue and apical half black, with a small mid-dorsal spot on blue. Segments 4 to 8 are with apical half black and pale reddish-brown at base. Segment 9 and 10 are black on dorsum. [8] A more reddish form from southeast Asia and southern China was formerly included in this species, but in 2022 it was recognized as a separate species, A. aurantiacus. [6]

Behavior

A. immaculifrons is found near slow flowing hill or mountain streams where it breeds. Eggs are inserted into reeds emerging from water. [8]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Mitra, A. (2010). "Anax immaculifrons". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T165463A6022090. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165463A6022090.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. (2023). "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral, University of Alabama . Retrieved 14 Mar 2023.
  3. ↑ "Anax immaculifrons Rambur, 1842". indiabiodiversity.org. India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  4. ↑ "Anax immaculifrons Rambur, 1842 – Magnificent Emperor". Dragonflies and Damselflies - in and around Europe. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Indische Königslibelle – Anax immaculifrons" (in German). libellenwissen.de. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  6. 1 2 Makbun, N.; Wongkamhaeng, K.; Keetapithchayakul, T.S. (2022). "Anax aurantiacus sp. nov., a new dragonfly from mainland Southeast Asia (Odonata: Aeshnidae)". Odonatologica. 51 (3–4): 301–339. doi:10.5281/odon.v51i3-4.a.
  7. ↑ "Magnificent emperor". Lepidoptera Libanotica. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  8. 1 2 C FC Lt. Fraser (1936). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma, Odonata Vol. III. Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, London: Taylor and Francis. pp. 145–146.
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