Northern Emerald

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Northern Emerald
male Northern Emerald
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Suborder: Anisoptera Family: Corduliidae Genus: Somatochlora Species: S. arctica
Binomial name
Somatochlora arctica (Selys, 1871)

The Northern Emerald (Somatochlora arctica) is a middle-sized species of dragonfly. The male can be recognised by its pincer-like appendages and its narrow-waisted body. The female has distinctive orange-yellow spots on (only) the third segment of the abdomen. This species lives in bogs and lays its eggs in very small water-filled depressions. It hunts between trees and avoids open spaces.

In Great Britain, it is only present in northwestern Scotland and is confined to the southwestern part of Ireland.^[1] It is present in all of northern Eurasia. In Western Europe, it is present in Alpine areas and wherever a suitable habitat can be found.

[edit] References

1. ^ Somatochlora arctica - Northern Emerald. British Dragonfly Society (2006-09-13).