black sea red data book - Department of Biology

Synonyms: Anax imperator Leach, 1815.
Anax imperator Leach, 1815
Edinb. Enc, Vol. IX, Edinburg, p. 137; Aeshna formosa: Vander Linden, 1820, p. 3,
fig. 1; Anax imperator Schmidt, 1929, p. 40, fig. 27e, 33k
Common names: Engl: Emperor dragonfly; Bulg: Vodno konche-imperator; Russ:
Dozorshchik; Turk: Yusufcuk; Ukr: Dozorets'
Order ODONATA
Family AESHNIDAE
Taxonomic description. A very large insect with total body length 72-77 mm and
length of hindwing 47-51 mm. Eyes big, contiguous dorsomedially, covering most of
the head. Wing pairs differently shaped, hindwing broader than forewing, especially
in its dilated basal portion. A pronounced colour dimorphism between the sexes.
Male: wings colourless, veins yellow or black. Abdomen bright blue, ornamented in
black. Female: wings slightly yellowish. Abdomen green to blue-greenish, dorsally
ornamented in brown-black.
IUCN Status
World level: NE
Black Sea regional level: DD
Subregion level: VU
Distribution. A widespread dragonfly species, occurring both in the Afrotropical and
Palearctic regions, i.e. from the Cape Province in the south to Scandinavia, and to
Central Asia in the east. Found all over the Balkan peninsula.
121