page_title: Emperor (dragonfly)
section_title: Behaviour
hierarchical_section_title: Emperor (dragonfly) / Behaviour
caption_attribution_description: English: Female blue emperor (Anax imperator) depositing eggs in the Aamsveen in The Netherlands. Nederlands: Eierleggend vrouwtje van de grote keizerlibel (Anax imperator) in het Aamsveen
context_page_description: The emperor dragonfly or blue emperor is a large species of hawker dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae, averaging 78 millimetres in length.
context_section_description: They frequently fly high up into the sky in search of prey, which includes butterflies, other Odonata and tadpoles; small prey is eaten while flying. They breed in a variety of aquatic habitats from large ponds to dikes, but they require a plentiful supply of vegetation in the water. The females lay the eggs into plants such as pondweed, and always lay alone. The larvae are very aggressive and are likely to influence the native species composition of colonized freshwater ecosystems. The adult male is highly territorial, and difficult to approach. In the summer months emperor dragonflies are frequent visitors to gardens, being especially prevalent in the southern counties of Great Britain.
caption: Female depositing eggs
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