Insect
Siebold's Giant Dragonfly
Anotogaster sieboldiiAlso known as Jumbo Dragonfly, Oniyanma
As the largest dragonfly in East Asia, Siebold's giant dragonfly commands forest streams with fierce aerial dominance and striking black-and-yellow tiger stripes. Males tirelessly patrol fixed flight corridors along clear mountain rivers, hunting flying insects as large as cicadas and wasps in mid-air. Aquatic nymphs spend up to five years submerged in clean stream gravel before emerging for a brief, high-energy adult summer.
Aerial PredatorLarge InsectFreshwater
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyMosquitoes, Flies, Wasps
Predators
- Birds
- Frogs
- Spiders
ThreatsStream pollution, habitat destruction, water flow modification
HabitatsClean mountain streams, forest rivers, oxygen-rich freshwater channels
Life span3–5 years as nymph; 1–3 months as adult
Classification
- FamilyCordulegastridae
- SpeciesAnotogaster sieboldii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Stream Patrols: Station yourself along sunny clearings near mountain streams where males maintain set flight paths.
- Resting Perches: Look for perched individuals hanging vertically from overhanging branches during warmer hours.
Competitor (c) César Alonso, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
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