Golden-ringed Dragonfly

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Golden-ringed Dragonfly
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Family: Cordulegastridae Genus: Cordulegaster Species: C. boltonii
Binomial name
Cordulegaster boltonii

The Golden-ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) is a large, striking dragonfly and the longest British specie, ^[1] and the only one of its genus in Britain. ^[2]

Contents 1 Identification 2 Larvae 3 Behaviour 4 See also 5 External links 6 References

[edit] Identification

They have distinctive black and yellow stripes, which no other dragonfly in Britain has, so they are easy to identify. ^[3]

[edit] Larvae

The female lays the eggs in shallow water. The hairy larvae live at the bottom of the water and are well camouflaged amongst the silt. ^[4] They emerge after about 2-5 years, and usually under the cover of darkness.

[edit] Behaviour

They are often seen flying leisurely over mountain streams or a river; they also occasional show up at a pond. They are also typically seen flying over heath land, their bright yellow and black stripes make them easy to identify, even from a fair distance away. They feed mainly on insects, from small prey such as midges, to flies, Butterflies and even Bumble Bees. This strikingly coloured insect is incredibly acrobatic in the air and they sometimes fly very high up into the sky. ^[5]

[edit] See also

• List of British dragonflies

[edit] External links

• British Dragonfly Society

[edit] References