Anax ephippiger
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Anax ephippiger, the vagrant emperor, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It migrates to Afro-tropical, Europe, central and southern Asia through monsoon winds. It is found in Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Kuwait, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi. Recorded in Malta in 1957, and every few years since, where it is seen migrating in large numbers. It has never been recorded breeding in the Maltese archipelago. It is increasingly being recorded in coastal Southern England and up to 10 miles (16 km) inland – one was seen at Knepp Wildland on 17 November 2021 (the 5th confirmed record for that year).
It is a large dragonfly with greenish-yellow eyes. Its thorax is olivaceous-brown, paler on sides. Wings are transparent with an amber-yellow patch. Abdomen is ochreous, marked... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Vagrant Emperor sighting in Kuwait City on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 29th most-seen of the 47 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Vagrant Emperor in Kuwait City on a given day, against under 5% in March and August–December, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Vagrant Emperor sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Vagrant Emperor sightings, Kuwait City has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Ahmedabad (India, about 10%) and Turin (Italy, about 10%).
Same order: Odonata
The closest relatives of the Vagrant Emperor that you can see in Kuwait City (order Odonata, Dragonflies and Damselflies) are Broad Scarlet (about 20%), Scarlet Skimmer (about 20%) and Black Pennant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Vagrant Emperor is recorded against all the insects logged in Kuwait City (9 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
