Orange-spotted emerald | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Odonata |
Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
Family: | Corduliidae |
Subfamily: | Gomphomacromiinae |
Genus: | Oxygastra |
Species: | O. curtisii |
Binomial name | |
Oxygastra curtisii (Dale, 1834) | |
The orange-spotted emerald (Oxygastra curtisii) is a dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is the only species in its genus. [2]
The orange-spotted emerald is about 53 millimetres (2.1 in) long. It has bright green eyes and a bronzy-green body with yellow spots along the top of the abdomen. The last segment of the abdomen (S10) has a prominent yellow mark on the upper surface. [3]
The species occurs in much of Europe but is regionally extinct in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Its habitat is slow flowing streams, pools and ponds. [1]
This species was only ever known from two areas in southern England, one around the River Stour and Moors River in east Dorset, where the species was recorded from 1820 to 1963, and the other on the River Tamar in Devon where the species was recorded in 1946 only. It went extinct due to sewage pollution in rivers.
This species lives in fresh water streams and rivers, with muddy or sandy beds. Where it lives today, it is still continually threatened by poor water quality. The nymphs are found on the banks of rivers, where they hide amongst leaf litter. Despite being regionally extinct in the UK and the Netherlands, they are still widespread throughout Europe,
The black-tailed skimmer is a dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae.
The common darter is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae native to Eurasia. It is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe, occurring in a wide variety of water bodies, though with a preference for breeding in still water such as ponds and lakes. In the south of its range adults are on the wing all year round.
The keeled skimmer is a species of dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae.
The ruddy darter is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.
The Cordulegastridae are a family of Odonata (dragonflies) from the suborder Anisoptera. They are commonly known as spiketails. Some vernacular names for the species of this family are biddie and flying adder. They have large, brown or black bodies with yellow markings, and narrow unpatterned wings. Their bright eyes touch at a single point, and they can be found along small, clear, woodland streams, flying slowly 30 to 70 cm above the water. When disturbed, however, they can fly very rapidly. They usually hunt high in forest vegetation, and prefer to capture prey resting on leaves or branches.
The northern emerald is a middle-sized species of dragonfly first described by Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt in 1840. 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.
The white-legged damselfly or blue featherleg is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range.
Ceriagrion glabrum is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. Its common names include common orange, common citril, common pond damsel, common waxtail, orange waxtail and gewone aljander. It is widespread in Africa, where it is found in habitats that are dominated by reeds.
Ophiogomphus cecilia, the green snaketail, green gomphid, or green club-tailed dragonfly, is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae.
Trithemis annulata, commonly known as the violet dropwing, violet-marked darter, purple-blushed darter, or plum-coloured dropwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in most of Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe. These dragonflies are called dropwings because of their habit of immediately lowering their wings after landing on a perch. Males of this species are violet-red with red veins in the wings, while females are yellow and brown. Both sexes have red eyes.
Trithemis arteriosa, the red-veined dropwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
Gomphus vulgatissimus, the common clubtail, is a medium-sized species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is found in most of Europe, and is present now in the south of France. Its natural habitats are clean, slow moving streaming rivers and creeks with sandy soil. It can be seen from mid-April in the south to August. Once they hatched out of water, they live shortly. As the common name suggests, this medium-sized species has a distinctive club-shaped abdomen. The males are black with extensive yellow markings on the thorax and abdomen which turn green as the insect ages. The females are black with extensive yellow markings. In the British Isles the adult flight period extends from mid May to early July.
Lestes barbarus is a species of damselfly of the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. Its common names in English include southern emerald damselfly, shy emerald damselfly, and migrant spreadwing.
Chalcolestes viridis, formerly Lestes viridis, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name is the willow emerald damselfly, the green emerald damselfly, or the western willow spreadwing. It has an elongated abdomen and pale brown spots on its wings and resides in areas of still water with overhanging trees.
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.
Hemicordulia asiatica, Asian emerald, is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae.
Macromia annaimallaiensis is a species of dragonfly in the family Macromiidae. It is an endemic dragonfly and found only in Western Ghats in South India, south of Palakkad Gap.
Lindenia tetraphylla, or bladetail, is a species of dragonfly from the family Gomphidae found in Central and Southwest Asia, and parts of the Mediterranean. It is the only representative of the monotypic genus Lindenia.
Sympetrum depressiusculum, the spotted darter, is a dragonfly species from the family Libellulidae, distributed across temperate parts of Eurasia.
Coenagrion ornatum, or, the ornate bluet, is a species of damselfly from the family Coenagrionidae distributed across a large part of Europe and Western Asia.
4. Wildlife and countryside. https://www.wcl.org.uk/wanted-the-orange-spotted-emerald-stolen-from-future-generations.asp. Retrieved 5 January 2021.