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Family Corduliidae - Emeralds

Brush Tipped Emerald - Somatochlora walshii - male

black-yellow dragonfly - Epitheca cynosura

American Emerald female? - Cordulia shurtleffii - female

Unknown Dragonfly1 - Somatochlora tenebrosa

Quebec Emerald - Somatochlora brevicincta - male

A Dragonfly resting on a tree branch. - Somatochlora cingulata - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)

Suborder Anisoptera (Dragonflies)

Family Corduliidae (Emeralds)

Explanation of Names

Named for the bright emerald metalic green eyes.

Numbers

50 spp. in 7 genera in our area(1), ca. 400 spp. in almost 50 genera of 6 subfamilies worldwide(2)(3)

Size

medium to large sized dragonflies, 35 to 68 mm long.

Identification

Usually have bright emerald metallic green eyes and sometimes thorax (although some species are duller).

Eyes touch for a fair section.

Best diagnosed to family by the wing patterns: dissimilar wing triangles and anal loop (in the hind wing) that is foot shaped but without a distinct toe. (4)

Individual species can be identified by the males tail appendages

or the females genitalia plates

. A good field guide will have drawings of these features to assist with identification of each species.

Range

worldwide(3)

Remarks

Prefer to hang rather than perch. Often perch on vegetation or stems on an 45 deg angle.

Print References

(4)

Works Cited

1.	Dragonfly Society of the Americas. 2012. North American Odonata

2.	Australian Faunal Directory

3.	Dragonflies of the World Jill Silsby. 2001. Smithsonian Institution Press.

4.	Field Guide to The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Provincial Park and the Surrounding Area Colin D. Jones, Andrea Kingsley, Peter Burke, and Matt Holder. 2008. Friends of Algonquin.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 8 March, 2004 - 8:19pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, BrendaVR, v belov
Last updated 27 November, 2017 - 8:39pm

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