| Anax papuensis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
| Family: | Aeshnidae |
| Genus: | Anax |
| Species: | A. papuensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Anax papuensis (Burmeister, 1839) [2] | |
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| Synonyms [3] | |
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The Australian emperor dragonfly, [4] also known as the yellow emperor dragonfly, [5] scientific name Anax papuensis, is a species of dragonfly in the Aeshnidae family. [3] It is black with yellow dots along its tail. [6]
The Australian emperor is a very large dragonfly, up to 70 mm long. Its abdomen is marked boldly in black and yellow. The thorax is greenish-grey. The head is yellow with a T-shaped mark on the forehead (frons). The eyes are yellow-green. The leading edges of the wings are yellow. The insect habitually hunts fairly slowly, patrolling up and down like other hawkers, with short bursts at high speed. [7]
Their wingspan is 11 centimetres (4.3 in). Males and females are similar. [8]
The Australian emperor is found throughout Australia. In the state of Victoria, it has a split distribution: below about 600 metres in altitude, and above about 1200 metres, apparently because it avoids forested areas. It is also found in New Zealand, New Guinea, the Cocos-Keeling Islands, Java, Sumba and New Caledonia. [9] [10]
The Australian emperor is widespread and common on larger bodies of water with tall vegetation on the banks. Like other hawkers, it may hunt far from water. It flies throughout the summer from September to May. [7]
The Australian emperor is notable as the dragonfly in which motion camouflage was studied by Mizutani et al.: males of Anax papuensis are fiercely territorial, and approach and attack rivals, the males choose a flight path that keeps their image as seen by the target still with respect to a landmark point. The attacking dragonfly thus looms larger in the target's eyes, but otherwise does not seem to move until it is very close. [11] [12] [13]
The males are very protective of their females. In case of intrusion of another individual, he will drive it away by engaging in a series of noisy air battles. Females lay their eggs under water. [5]
A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera. Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
The Aeshnidae, also called aeshnids, hawkers, or darners, is a family of dragonflies. The family includes the largest dragonflies found in North America and Europe and among the largest dragonflies on the planet.
The emperor dragonfly or blue emperor is a large species of hawker dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae, averaging 78 millimetres (3.1 in) in length.
Motion camouflage is camouflage which provides a degree of concealment for a moving object, given that motion makes objects easy to detect however well their coloration matches their background or breaks up their outlines. The principal form of motion camouflage, and the type generally meant by the term, involves an attacker's mimicking the optic flow of the background as seen by its target. This enables the attacker to approach the target while appearing to remain stationary from the target's perspective, unlike in classical pursuit. The attacker chooses its flight path so as to remain on the line between the target and some landmark point. The target therefore does not see the attacker move from the landmark point. The only visible evidence that the attacker is moving is its looming, the change in size as the attacker approaches. Motion is also used in a variety of other camouflage strategies, including swaying to mimic plant movements in the wind or ocean currents.
Diplacodes haematodes, the scarlet percher, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It occurs throughout Australia, Timor, New Guinea, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. It is locally common in habitats with hot sunny exposed sites at or near rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes. It often prefers to settle on hot rocks rather than twigs or leaves, and is quite wary. This is a spectacular species of dragonfly, although small in size. The male is brilliant red, the female yellow-ochre. Females have yellow infuscation suffusing the outer wings, while the males have similar colour at the bases of the wings.
Tholymis tillarga, the coral-tailed cloudwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found from tropical West Africa to Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Common names include old world twister, evening skimmer, crepuscular darter, foggy-winged twister and twister.
Orthetrum caledonicum, the blue skimmer, is a common Australian dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
Anax guttatus, the pale-spotted emperor or lesser green emperor, is a dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae.
Orthetrum sabina, the slender skimmer or green marsh hawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is widespread, being found from south-eastern Europe and North Africa to Japan and south to Australia and Micronesia.
Griseargiolestes albescens is a species of Australian damselfly in the family Megapodagrionidae. It is commonly known as a coastal flatwing.
Anax parthenope, the lesser emperor, is a dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae. It is found in Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia.
Anax is a genus of dragonflies in the family Aeshnidae. It includes species likesuch as the emperor dragonfly, Anax imperator.
The tau emerald is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in all parts of Australia except northern Queensland and north-western Western Australia. The species was first described by Edmond de Sélys Longchamps in 1871.
The Australian emerald is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It can be found in Australia, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Lesser Sunda Islands and New Zealand. It is a small to medium-sized, long-legged dragonfly coloured black-metallic and yellow. In both males and females the inboard edge of the hindwing is rounded.
Rhyothemis graphiptera, known as the graphic flutterer or banded flutterer, is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae. It is found across northern Australia, the Moluccas, New Guinea and New Caledonia. Rhyothemis extends from Africa to the western Pacific.
Procordulia jacksoniensis is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae, known as the eastern swamp emerald. It inhabits rivers, pools and lakes in eastern Australia, from Brisbane through New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, and around Adelaide in South Australia.
Anaciaeschna jaspidea is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae, commonly known as the Australasian duskhawker and Rusty darner. It widely distributed from India through Australia to the Pacific.
Anax gibbosulus is a species of large dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae, commonly known as the green emperor. It inhabits swamps and brackish waters from India through northern Australia to the Pacific.
Anax georgius is a species of large dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae, commonly known as the Kimberley emperor. It inhabits ponds in the Kimberley area of Western Australia
Synthemis eustalacta is a species of dragonfly in the family Synthemistidae, known as the swamp tigertail. It is found in south-eastern Australia, where it inhabits streams and rivers. It is a slender, medium-sized dragonfly with black and yellow markings.
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