Moroccan desert dragonfly? (2 Viewers)

[Brian Stone]

Hi all. On my recent whistle-stop tour of Morocco I frequently encountered a largish dragonfly in the deserts, usually well away from any water. They were all moving far too fast to get much on them but to my eye appeared like rather dull brownish hawker type dragonflies with no discerable colour to speak of but an aeshna-like abdominal pattern.

From maps in Dijkstra I had compiled a list of possible dragons for the region but this is certainly not one of them (Emperor, Lesser Emperor, Vagrant Emperor, Epaulet Skimmer, Red-veined Darter, Broad Scarlet, Violet Dropwing, Orange-winged Dropwing).

As a long shot, does anyone have any suggestions for a common dragon matching this vague description?

 

[RoyW]

Can you be certain that they weren't Lesser/Vagrant Emperors?

These would be by far the most likely species that would fit your description. The abdomen pattern on both can look aeshna like in brief views, and immature males and females lack any distinct colours.

 

[Brian Stone]

Thanks Roy, I'd gone back over this since posting and come to the same conclusion. I think they were Vagrant Emperors (possibly with Lessers too). There don't seem to be any other possibilities.

 

[Odonate]

From what I gather, there was a significant movement of ephippiger through north Africa this winter that may well explain the couple of UK records in February.

 

[Steve Dudley]

Vagrant Emp was going to be my suggestion too Brian.

 

[Brian Stone]

Thanks all. Vagrant Emperor was one of only two odo species I identified positively (the other was R-v Darter).

 

[rob lee]

Hi Brian, did pretty much the same trip as you in "08" & found Odo`s generally scarce apart from large numbers of fem/imm Vagrant Emperors around Dyat Srij (Merzouga). Only one blue saddled male was seen. Did`nt get R.V.Darter but did see a couple of Trithemis annulata & a single T. kirbyii.

 

[Brian Stone]

Cheers Rob. It's good to get a bit more conifirmation. I was looking out for dropwings but saw none.

Dyat Srij was totally dry as far as we could tell but most of the Vagrant Emperors were in that general area.