Konge-guldsmed (Cordulegaster boltonii)
• English name: Common Goldenring
• German name: Zweigestreifte Quelljungfer
• French name: Cordulégastre à front jaune
• Dutch name: Gewone bronlibel
• Swedish name: Kungstrollslända
• Norwegian name: Kongeøyenstikker
• Finnish name: Purokorento
• Danish name: Konge-guldsmed
• Italian name: Guardaruscello comune
• Czech name: páskovec kroužkovaný
• Slovenian name: Prodni studenčar
• Bulgarian name: N/A
Konge-guldsmed (Cordulegaster boltonii)
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 occurs in much of Europe (except the south-east) | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Cordulegastridae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • small rivers and streams in forests or on moors | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 74-85 mm; hindwing: 40-51 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 boltonii group very rarely co-occur at the same site; therefore if two Cordulegaster species co-occur, they very probably belong to different groups | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the eyes are green (brown in immature animals) |
| • the occipital triangle is yellow | ||
| Thorax | • the thorax is black with three yellow bands; the middle band is relatively well-developed | |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is black with pairs of yellow rings | |
| Male | Abdomen | • each upper appendage bears one tooth on the underside (rather than two, as in the species of the bidentata group) |
| Photographs | • our photos below were made in Tuscany, Finland, Sweden and Spain | |
| • those photos made in Tuscany, Finland and Sweden show the nominal subspecies C. b. boltonii | ||
| • some of the photos made in Spain (Andalusia) show the subspecies C. b. algirica, which has wider yellow rings on the abdomen |
LineDrawing: the male's abdomen in dorsal view.
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.
