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.
The Quebec Emerald or Robert's Emerald is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is one of 42 species in the genus Somatochlora found in the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of the rarest members of the Odonata to be found in Canada and one of the most recently described. Adrien Robert, a Canadian entomologist, Cleric of Saint Viator, and professor at the University of Montreal, first described S. brevicincta in 1954.
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 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.
The brilliant emerald, Somatochlora metallica, is a middle-sized species of dragonfly. It is the largest and greenest of the Somatochlora species; 50–55 millimetres (2.0–2.2 in) long.
Somatochlora elongata, the ski-tipped emerald or ski-tailed emerald, is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.
Somatochlora filosa, the fine-lined emerald, 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 hudsonica, the Hudsonian 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.
Somatochlora cingulata, the lake emerald, is a species of emerald dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in North America.
Somatochlora ensigera, the plains emerald, is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in central North America.
Somatochlora linearis, the mocha emerald, 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.
Somatochlora exuberata is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in eastern Russia, northern China, Korea, and Hokkaido, Japan.
Somatochlora graeseri is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found in Asia, where it occurs in Japan, Korea, northern China, and Russia.
