Emperor Dragonfly (f) in flight - just look at those lips!
This female is looking a little the worse for wear - her wings are distinctly frayed and she may be missing a leg. The adult forms of dragonflies only live for a few weeks, spending their entire time feeding, mating and laying eggs. Doesn't sound like such a bad life - no dishes to wash! The eggs will hatch into nymphs, and those that aren't eaten by fish or water fowl will go through progressive moults, each time getting larger. Eventually, after some years, they will crawl up a plant stem into the air, shed their final skin and emerge as the colourful, winged adults we see flying around.
The Emperor is the UK's largest dragonfly species - approx 10cm/4 inches in length and span.
Emperor Dragonfly (f) in flight - just look at those lips!
This female is looking a little the worse for wear - her wings are distinctly frayed and she may be missing a leg. The adult forms of dragonflies only live for a few weeks, spending their entire time feeding, mating and laying eggs. Doesn't sound like such a bad life - no dishes to wash! The eggs will hatch into nymphs, and those that aren't eaten by fish or water fowl will go through progressive moults, each time getting larger. Eventually, after some years, they will crawl up a plant stem into the air, shed their final skin and emerge as the colourful, winged adults we see flying around.
The Emperor is the UK's largest dragonfly species - approx 10cm/4 inches in length and span.