Emerald
Guides
Epitheca canis
Beaverpond Baskettail
Epitheca canis, commonly known as the Beaverpond Baskettail, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is native to North America and belongs to a genus characterized by distinctive egg-laying behaviors. Like other baskettails, it possesses brilliant green eyes as an adult. The species inhabits wetland environments, particularly beaver ponds, from which its common name derives.
Epitheca costalis
Slender Baskettail, Stripe-winged Baskettail
Epitheca costalis is an emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae, commonly known as the slender baskettail or stripe-winged baskettail. It is found in North America and is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a stable population and no immediate threats to survival. The species is part of the baskettail genus, named for the distinctive egg-laying behavior where females carry eggs in a basket-like structure before trailing them in gelatinous strings across water surfaces.
Epitheca princeps
Prince Baskettail
Epitheca princeps, commonly known as the prince baskettail, is a dragonfly species in the family Corduliidae. It is one of the larger baskettail species in North America and is distinguished by its distinctive egg-laying behavior, where females extrude eggs onto their subgenital plate before depositing them in gelatinous strings on water. The species has a relatively long flight season compared to other baskettails, extending into summer.
Epitheca sepia
sepia baskettail
Epitheca sepia, commonly known as the sepia baskettail, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN with a stable population and no immediate threats to survival.
Epitheca stella
Florida baskettail
Epitheca stella, the Florida baskettail, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a stable population and no immediate threats to survival; this status was reviewed in 2017.
Lestes dryas
emerald spreadwing, scarce emerald damselfly, robust spreadwing, turlough spreadwing
Lestes dryas is a Holarctic damselfly species in the family Lestidae, commonly known as the emerald spreadwing or scarce emerald damselfly. It is notable for being the only Lestes species that occurs in both Europe and North America. The species can tolerate extreme environmental conditions, including slightly brackish water, that few other odonates survive. It has experienced significant population declines in parts of its range, particularly in Britain and Ireland, where it was believed extinct before its rediscovery in 1983. Conservation efforts focus on maintaining ditch systems and shallow water habitats that support its aquatic life stages.
Sintoria emeralda
Sintoria emeralda is a species of robber fly (family Asilidae) described by Hull in 1962. The specific epithet 'emeralda' suggests a green coloration. As a member of Asilidae, this species is a predatory fly. Information regarding its biology, distribution, and ecology remains extremely limited in published sources.
Somatochlora
Striped Emeralds, Striped Emerald Dragonflies
Somatochlora is a genus of 42 described species of medium-sized dragonflies in the family Corduliidae, distributed across the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, and North America. Members are characterized by dark bodies with metallic green lustre, brilliant green eyes, and often yellow thoracic or abdominal markings. Species-level identification is challenging and requires examination of male cerci or female subgenital plates. Many species are habitat specialists with restricted distributions, particularly associated with boreal and montane wetland systems.
Somatochlora brevicincta
Quebec Emerald, Robert's Emerald
Somatochlora brevicincta is a rare dragonfly in the family Corduliidae, first described by Canadian entomologist Adrien Robert in 1954. It belongs to the 'ringed' group of emeralds, distinguished by faint whitish rings on the abdomen. The species is among the rarest Odonata in Canada, with a transcontinental distribution across boreal and subarctic regions. It is classified as vulnerable to critically imperiled across most of its range.
Somatochlora calverti
Calvert's Emerald, Andre Flies
Somatochlora calverti is a rare, range-restricted dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is endemic to the southeastern United States, primarily known from the Florida panhandle with scattered records in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. The species is a habitat specialist associated with shallow seepage streams and steephead ravines. Its nymph has never been collected in the field, and its reproductive microhabitat remains speculative based on analogy to sympatric congeners.
Somatochlora ensigera
Plains Emerald
Somatochlora ensigera, the plains emerald, is a medium-sized dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. First described in 1906 from Montana, this species inhabits slow-flowing streams and small rivers across the northern Great Plains of North America. Adults are active from June through September and exhibit distinctive male cerci that aid in identification.
Somatochlora franklini
Delicate Emerald
Somatochlora franklini, commonly known as the delicate emerald, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America. The species has been assigned a conservation status of Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN, with a stable population and no immediate threats identified as of the 2017 assessment.
Somatochlora incurvata
Incurvate Emerald
Somatochlora incurvata, the Incurvate Emerald, is a medium-sized dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. First described by Canadian entomologist Edmund Murton Walker in 1918 from Michigan specimens, it was initially suspected to be a local race of the closely related forcipate emerald. The species occupies a restricted range in northeastern North America and is specialized to bog and fen habitats, where larvae develop within saturated Sphagnum moss.
Somatochlora minor
Ocellated Emerald
Somatochlora minor, known as the ocellated emerald, is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN with a stable population.
Somatochlora provocans
Treetop Emerald
Somatochlora provocans, commonly known as the treetop emerald, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America. The species has been assessed by the IUCN as Least Concern (LC) with a stable population and no immediate threats to its survival.
Somatochlora septentrionalis
Muskeg Emerald
Somatochlora septentrionalis, known as the muskeg emerald, is a dragonfly species in the family Corduliidae endemic to Canada. Adults are medium-sized, measuring 39–48 mm in length, with metallic green, brown, and black coloration. The species inhabits open fens with pools of open water, where males patrol and females oviposit in water and floating vegetation. Adults are active from June to August. It is nearly identical to Somatochlora whitehousei, requiring examination of male cerci and female subgenital plate for definitive identification.
Somatochlora tenebrosa
Clamp-tipped Emerald
Somatochlora tenebrosa, the clamp-tipped emerald, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America. The IUCN conservation status is "LC" (least concern), with a stable population. The species was reviewed in 2017.
Somatochlora whitehousei
Whitehouse's Emerald
Somatochlora whitehousei, known as Whitehouse's Emerald, is an emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. The species is found in North America and is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a stable population. It was described by Walker in 1925.