Emperor Dragonfly
Anax imperator
The Emperor Dragonfly occurs from Madagascar to Pakistan, and from the Asian steppe to Western Europe. It is a very common species in Portugal and is well distributed throughout the mainland and the Madeira and Azores archipelagos. The males are highly territorial, doggedly patrolling small stretches of lakes and ponds, where they drive out rivals and even sometimes chase off small birds. They prefer calm waters with some aquatic vegetation, where the females can lay their eggs. A highly versatile species, the Emperor Dragonfly breeds in a wide variety of aquatic habitats and may be spotted just about anywhere in the Gulbenkian Garden.
Text: Eva Monteiro, Albano Soares, Renata Santos, Rui Félix, Cândida Ramos, Ricardo Ramirez and Patrícia Garcia-Pereira