Blue Emperor

The Blue Emperor is Britain's largest dragonfly, growing up to 78mm long. Male Blue Emperors are easy to recognise with bright sky-blue bodies marked with black, a green middle section, and clear wings. Females and young males have green and brown colouring. When flying, both males and females have a noticeable downward curve at the end of their bodies. This dragonfly is found all over England and Wales but is less common in Scotland and Ireland. It prefers larger bodies of water like lakes, gravel pits, canals, and slow-moving rivers that have plenty of plants. Adult Blue Emperors are strong fliers and often patrol areas far from water. The flying season lasts from late May to August, with the most seen in June and July. Male Blue Emperors are very protective of their areas and often fight other males in the air. Females only come to the water briefly to lay eggs.