The Emperor Dragonfly or Blue Emperor (Anax imperator) is one of the largest in Europe. Female laying eggs in the tissue of aquatic plants. Note the huge compound eyes on the head and the distinctive unmarked apple green thorax. The abdomen is typically green in the female of this species but turns blue in some mature females, as in this example. Of African origin, this species has only recently colonised large parts of northern Europe. Photographed on a garden pond in East Dorset, UK.