Anax imperator

The emperor dragonfly

~

Anax imperator, face, as per the old testaments of pareidolia, resembling an ancient deity, with a mad smile, either from paralysis or by nature, waving a paw

The male, in flight

Male emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) in flight, Għadira Nature Reserve, Malta
Male emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) in flight, Għadira Nature Reserve, Malta

CC BY-SA 4.0 · Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · licence

The female

now hovering over duckweed, now poking their bottoms into it. That’s how they lay their larvae

Female Anax imperator laying eggs into floating vegetation, Krugle boloto lake near Shypyntsi, Chernivtsi Region, Ukraine
Female Anax imperator laying eggs into floating vegetation, Krugle boloto lake near Shypyntsi, Chernivtsi Region, Ukraine

CC BY 4.0 · Smirnaz · Wikimedia Commons · licence