Turkish Goldenring (Cordulegaster picta)
• English name: Turkish Goldenring
• German name: Gezeichnete Quelljungfer
• French name: N/A
• Dutch name: Turkse 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: Rumeni studenčar
• Bulgarian name: Южно воденичарче
Turkish Goldenring (Cordulegaster picta)
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 parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Cordulegastridae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Vulnerable | |
| Scientific name | • Cordulegaster picta Selys, 1854 | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • rivers and streams | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 72-89 mm; hindwing: 43-53 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 | ||
| • C. picta is noticeably darker than C. insignis with which it co-occurs (e.g. in Turkey) | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the eyes are green (brown in immature animals) |
| • the occipital triangle is black | ||
| Thorax | • the thorax is black with three yellow bands; the middle band is relatively well-developed | |
| Male | Abdomen | • each upper appendage bears one tooth on the underside (rather than two, as in the species of the bidentata 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.
