Anax ephippiger
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Vagrant Emperor sighting in Tel Aviv on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 240th most-seen of the 264 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Vagrant Emperor in Tel Aviv on a given day, against under 5% in April to January, the lowest months. Those are among Tel Aviv's wettest months, with about 50 mm of rain a month against almost none in August.
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.
5th of 8
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Vagrant Emperor sightings, Tel Aviv ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kuwait City (Kuwait, about 20%), Ahmedabad (India, about 10%) and Turin (Italy, about 10%).
Same genus: Anax
The closest relatives of the Vagrant Emperor that you can see in Tel Aviv (genus Anax) are Lesser Emperor (about 10%) and Blue Emperor (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 Tel Aviv (5 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.
