Northern Emerald
Somatochlora arctica
- Least concern
- Card rarity: Common
- Insects
The northern emerald is a species of emerald dragonfly found in northern and middle Eurasia. The species was first described in 1840 from Scandinavia. It is a relatively small dragonfly, just 4 to 5 centimetres long, and is recognizable by its hairy thorax, dark abdomen, and bright green eyes. The males have narrowly waisted abdomens, while the females have straight ones; the females are also recognizable by the two lateral yellow spots behind the thorax. Northern emeralds pass two years as larvae in sphagnum-rich bog pools before emerging as adults which hunt above peat bogs, wet meadows, and open woodlands. Despite being assessed as a least-concern species by the IUCN, northern emeralds are threatened by habitat loss caused by human activity, and climate change is expected to exacerbate the problem.
Classification
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Odonata
- Family
- Corduliidae
- Genus
- Somatochlora