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The
Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) or Blue Emperor Dragonfly is of the family Aeshnidae which is in the genus Anax.
This large and powerful species is a voracious predator of other flying
insects. Prey items including medium sized dragonflies, damselflies,
butterflies and other flying invertebrates are captured on the wing but
it tends to avoid predating
bees, wasps and hard shelled flying insects such as beetles. Probably as
a
result of climate change, in the last 20 years or so it has greatly
expanded its range north ward. Now relatively common throughout the
Western Palearctic, excluding Iceland and the vast majority of
Scandinavia. In the Eastern Atlantic it occurs on all the Macaronesian
Islands. The first report for Ireland was from Co. Wexford in August 2000.
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds