Vagrant Emperor vs Broad-bodied Chaser

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Vagrant Emperor Broad-bodied Chaser
Scientific Name Anax ephippiger Libellula depressa
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Aeshnidae Libellulidae
Size 60-70 mm 39-48 mm body length
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Gardens
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Africa, Europe, Asia Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Vagrant Emperor

A nomadic dragonfly that wanders vast distances across Africa, Europe, and Asia. It has a sandy-brown body with a distinctive blue saddle marking on the abdomen.

💡

Did You Know?

It is one of the most migratory dragonflies, regularly crossing the Sahara Desert and reaching northern Europe.

Broad-bodied Chaser

A stocky dragonfly with a distinctly flattened, broad abdomen that is powder-blue in males and golden-brown in females. It is often the first dragonfly to colonise new garden ponds.

💡

Did You Know?

It can appear at a new garden pond within days of it being filled with water.