Cordulegaster insignis
• English name: Blue-Eyed Goldenring
• German name: Türkische Quelljungfer
• French name: N/A
• Dutch name: Blauwoogbronlibel
• Swedish name: N/A
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: N/A
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: N/A
• Bulgarian name: Синеоко воденичарче
Cordulegaster insignis
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | ➤ a very large black-and-yellow species which in Europe occurs only in the south-east | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Cordulegastridae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Endangered | |
| Scientific name | • Cordulegaster insignis Schneider, 1845 | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • very small, shaded streams | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 71-83 mm; hindwing: 40-49 mm | |
| Notes | ➤ for an overview of the differences between the species in the boltonii and the bidentata groups, tap or click here | |
| • the female lays her eggs by thrusting her abdomen repeatedly into wet mud, moss, etc. | ||
| • two species of the bidentata group very rarely co-occur at the same site; therefore if two Cordulegaster species co-occur, they very probably belong to different groups | ||
| • C. insignis has noticeably more yellow than C. picta with which it co-occurs (e.g. in Turkey) | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the eyes are blue |
| • the occipital triangle is yellow | ||
| Thorax | • the thorax is black with three yellow bands, of which the middle one is heavily reduced and may even be absent | |
| Male | Abdomen | • each upper appendage bears two teeth on the underside (rather than one, as in the species of the boltonii group) |
| Photographs | • all of our photos below were made in Turkey in 2009, 2013 and 2019 |
The boltonii group (left) and the bidentata group (right)
The former comprises C. boltonii, trinacriae, heros and picta.
The latter comprises C. bidentata, insignis and helladica.
In the boltonii group, note:
1. thorax: the middle band is (relatively) well developed,
2. upper appendages: close at base, then diverging, curved
(as opposed to separated at the base, then straight),
3. S1: the yellow spot sits at the bottom edge
(as opposed to the upper segment portion), and
4. anal triangle: typically five (as opposed to three) cells.
