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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Vagrant Emperor sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 280th most-seen of the 748 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.
April and December–February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Vagrant Emperor in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March and May–November, the lowest months. Those are among Kruger National Park's wettest months, with about 80 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.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Vagrant Emperor sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Doñana National Park (Spain, about 10%) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Vagrant Emperor is recorded against all the insects logged in Kruger National Park (24 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
