Arktische Smaragdlibelle (Somatochlora arctica)
• English name: Northern Emerald
• German name: Arktische Smaragdlibelle
• French name: Cordulie arctique
• Dutch name: Hoogveenglanslibel
• Swedish name: Mindre glanstrollslända
• Norwegian name: Myr-metalløyenstikker
• Finnish name: Hoikkakiiltokorento
• Danish name: Arktisk smaragdlibel
• Italian name: Smeralda artica
• Czech name: lesklice severská
• Slovenian name: Barjanski lesketnik
• Bulgarian name: Арктична зеленка
Arktische Smaragdlibelle
(Somatochlora arctica)
Not present
Present before 1990
Present after 1990
Present before and after 1990
Present after 2015
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | • a very dark, metallic-green species of the far north and north-east; also occurs at altitude in central Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Corduliidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Somatochlora arctica (Zetterstedt, 1840) | |
| Name genus | • Somatochlora: from Grk. σῶμα (stem: σωματ-) = body +; χλωρός = green | |
| Name species | • arctica: from Lat. arcticus, -a, -um = arctic ⇒ in reference to the species' northerly range | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • small bog pools and puddles | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 45-51 mm; hindwing: 28-35 mm | |
| Notes | ➤ noticeably smaller, darker and more slender than Somatochlora metallica | |
| • cordulids are 'fliers': they spend a lot of time on the wing and seldom hang up for a rest | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the eyes are green (brown in immature animals) |
| Abdomen | • the segment border between S2 and S3 bears a narrow yellow(ish) ring | |
| • S4-S10 are uniformly black (or very dark green) | ||
| Male | Abdomen | ➤ the upper appendages are calliper-shaped |
| Female | Abdomen | ➤ S3 bears two large yellow patches |
| • compared to S. alpestris and S. sahlbergi the abdomen is long and slender | ||
| Photographs | • nearly all of our photos below were made in northern Italy and northern Finland |
LineDrawing: the male's appendages in dorsal view.
