This species, formerly included in the genus Hemianax, is increasingly included in the genus Anax. As no genetic investigation is available, this remains controversial, but we follow the World Odonata List (Paulson et al. 2021) in placing the species in genus Anax.

European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

Anax ephippiger is a wide-ranging and abundant species with no evidence of decline. In Europe, it will probably benefit from climate change. It is assessed as Least Concern in Europe and EU27 Member States.

The main range of Anax ephippiger is found in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and extends eastwards to India. It typically occurs in arid and semi-arid areas (Kalkman and Monnerat 2015, Boudot et al. 2021). From its main range, it regularly migrates northwards. Due to this, this species is found over large areas as a migrant, often resulting in temporary populations.

Migrants have been found northwards to Iceland (Tuxen 1976), eastwards to Japan and westwards to the Caribbean (Boudot et al. 2021). Due to this, it can be found throughout Europe. Reproduction in Europe regularly occurs in the Mediterranean region but has also been observed further north up to Belgium, the Netherlands (Manher and De Knijf 2022), Germany, Poland (Bernard and Musiał 1995, Burbach and Winterholler 1997) and the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea (Billqvist et al. 2019).

Anax ephippiger is one of the most common and widespread species present in its main range. In southern Europe the species is scarce, although it can be found in large numbers. It reproduces in fluctuating numbers, although regularly and in great numbers at Doñana (Spain). In the remainder of Europe, it is rare and only known from migrants in many countries (only one or two individuals). The number of emerging individuals can however be large at reproduction sites (Corbet 1999). Sightings of this species increased during the last decade in France (Lambret and Deschamps 2013) and Spain, probably linked to the effect of climate change. In Cyprus, the species appears to be stable (Sparrow et al. 2021).

The biology of the species is strongly adapted to breeding in seasonal habitats. In its main range in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, migrating individuals travel with winds that lead them to areas with rain. Here the species oviposits, often at the end of the winter, in standing waters created by the rainfall (Corbet 1999, Dumont and Desmet 1990, Dumont 1977).

The larvae have rapid growth completing their development in two to three months allowing them to emerge before the habitat dries out. Like in its main range, the European breeding sites also consist mainly of standing, shallow and often seasonal waters. Due to the seasonality of the habitat, predators are absent and the shallow water heats up very fast, resulting in a boom of zooplankton, which serves as food for the larvae of A. ephippiger. The larvae tolerate high salinity. Many sites where reproduction has been observed in Europe are found in coastal wetlands, but reproduction also can also take place in suitable habitats far away from coastal areas.

Migrants can be seen all over, even within big city centres. Probably the best time to see A. ephippiger in western and northern Europe is late summer, from the end of August till the end of October, when several of them can be seen migrating along the coast, like in the Netherlands and Belgium.

There are no specific threats to this species in Europe. It is likely that climate change and prolonged droughts will favour this species.

There is no trade or use of this species.

This species is relatively safe and probably will benefit from climate change. Reproduction habitats in the Mediterranean coastal wetlands should be protected and further development for tourist infrastructure or industrial complexes should be prevented. At the same time, water abstraction for agriculture and domestic use in these Mediterranean coastal wetlands should not be allowed.