Hemianax or Anax ephippiger is a dragonfly that arrives from the African Continent to Canary Islands every year around December or January, helped by the favourable winds from the Sahara. Is one of the biggest dragonflies found here, with a lenght of 7 cm.
It looks very similar to Anax imperator in terms of shape and markings on its abdomen, but not in colour, its head has a yellowish colour, with a black line on the frons. males have a characteristic blue "saddle" mark on the first abdominal segment, the rest are yellowish, pterostigmas are, in general, yellow as well.
When laying eggs they form "tandems" where males catch females by their head, then they fly to the shore of the water sources and stop on a plant or branch without separating, and finally the female fix their eggs to it.
Gracias a Pablo Martinez-Darve por la traducción al inglés de esta entrada.
