Vagrant Emperor Dragonfly?

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Although I have seen a few dragonflies around Egypt throughout the winter, this is the first I've seen land in the garden. Unfortunately is was too far away to get good shots.

Is this Hemianax ephippiger - Vagrant Emperor? They are found all over North Africa but I have not seen one before which makes me uncertain.:puzzled:

[RoyW]

Hi Jacqueline,

I've not yet seen Anax (orHemianax) ephippiger, but this is the species shown in your photos. There are a number of features that point to this ID (rather than Anax parthenope), with the best feature being the triangular appendage that can be seen between the two longer apendages at the end of the abdomen - if you zoom in (in parthenope this third appendage is so small that it is barely noticeable).
Other features, largely differences in colour, can be variable but there are several visible in your photo (eg the brown, not yellow, ring above the blue 'saddle' + brownish look to the uppersides of the eyes).

[Jacqueline Burrell]

Hi Jacqueline,

I've not yet seen Anax (orHemianax) ephippiger, but this is the species shown in your photos. There are a number of features that point to this ID (rather than Anax parthenope), with the best feature being the triangular appendage that can be seen between the two longer apendages at the end of the abdomen - if you zoom in (in parthenope this third appendage is so small that it is barely noticeable).
Other features, largely differences in colour, can be variable but there are several visible in your photo (eg the brown, not yellow, ring above the blue 'saddle' + brownish look to the uppersides of the eyes).

Hi Roy

Many thanks for your comprehensive comparison of the two species.

I take it that they should be referred to as Anax rather than Hemianax.:smile:

[RoyW]

I take it that they should be referred to as Anax rather than Hemianax.:smile:

The people who decide these things may change their minds again, but most of the more recent publications have merged Hemianax into Anax.

K-D Dijkstra provides brief details of taxonomical changes that he has accepted/ rejected in an appendix in his Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe - he indicates that the evidence to include Vagrant Emperor in Anax is 'inconclusive but supportive of change', but accepts the change on the basis that merging gernera is less disruptive to taxonomy than splitting them...

Roy.