Cordulegaster helladica
• English name: Greek Goldenring
• German name: Griechische Quelljungfer
• French name: N/A
• Dutch name: Griekse bronlibel
• 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: N/A
Cordulegaster helladica
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 only in Greece | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Cordulegastridae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Endangered (but ssp. kastalia: Critically Endangered), Endemic | |
| Scientific name | • Cordulegaster helladica (Lohmann, 1993) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • small shaded streams but also larger rivers with rocks and boulders | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 68-83 mm; hindwing: 41-49 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. helladica is noticeably smaller and has more yellow than C. heros with which it co-occurs (e.g. on the Peloponnese) | ||
| 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, 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 on the Peloponnese in 2010 and 2015 |
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.
