Corduliidae, also knowns as the emeralds, emerald dragonflies, or green-eyed skimmers, is a family of dragonflies. These dragonflies are usually black or dark brown with areas of metallic green or yellow, and most of them have large, emerald-green eyes. The larvae are black, hairy-looking, and usually semiaquatic. This family include species called "baskettails", "emeralds", "sundragons", "shadowdragons", and "boghaunters". They are not uncommon and are found nearly worldwide, but some individual species are quite rare. Hine's emerald dragonfly, for example, is an endangered species in the United States.
Somatochlora, or the striped emeralds, is a genus of dragonflies in the family Corduliidae with 42 described species found across the Northern Hemisphere.
Hemicordulia is a genus of dragonfly in family Corduliidae. It occurs in Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Pacific Islands such as the Bonin Islands, Fiji and French Polynesia. Species of Hemicordulia are small to medium-sized dragonflies, coloured black or metallic, with yellow.
Onychogomphus is a genus of dragonflies in the family Gomphidae. They are commonly known as pincertails.
Somatochlora calverti, the Calvert's emerald, is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is endemic to the United States. Its natural habitats are rivers and swamps.
The incurvate emerald is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in Canada and the United States. Its natural habitat is fens.
Somatochlora margarita, the Texas emerald, is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is endemic to the United States. Its natural habitat is rivers.
Somatochlora ozarkensis, the Ozark emerald is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is endemic to the United States and has its natural habitat in rivers.
Somatochlora sahlbergi, the treeline emerald, is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found at high latitudes across northern Eurasia and North America, and occurs farther north than any other dragonfly.
Somatochlora flavomaculata, also called yellow-spotted emerald, is a common species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. Its distribution stretches from France to Siberia and Mongolia. It frequents wetlands in its range. The males are known to defend their territory.
Sympecma paedisca, known generally as siberian winterdamsel, is a species of spreadwing in the damselfly family Lestidae. It is found in Europe.
Somatochlora filosa, the fine-lined emerald, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.
Neurocordulia obsoleta, the umber shadowdragon, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.
Somatochlora franklini, the delicate emerald, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.
Somatochlora whitehousei, or Whitehouse's emerald, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.
Somatochlora georgiana, the coppery emerald, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.
Somatochlora tenebrosa, the clamp-tipped emerald, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.
Epitheca semiaquea, the mantled baskettail, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.
Somatochlora daviesi is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It was first described in 1977 based on specimens from Meghalaya, India, and is also known from Nepal and Bhutan. It resembles the east Asian S. dido in its small size and lack of yellow markings on most of the abdomen. Like other species in the genus, S. davisi is predominantly dark metallic brown to green. The formerly recognised Somatochlora nepalensis is now considered to be a synonym of S. daviesi.
Somatochlora dido is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is known from southeastern China and northern Vietnam, but populations in Vietnam may alternatively represent a separate, undescribed, species. S. dido has sometimes been treated as synonymous with S. taiwana from Taiwan, but more recent publications have treated them as separate species. S. shennong is also closely related.
