Cordulegaster trinacriae
• English name: Italian Goldenring
• German name: Italienische Quelljungfer
• French name: N/A
• Dutch name: Italiaanse bronlibel
• Swedish name: N/A
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: Guardaruscello meridionale
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: N/A
• Bulgarian name: N/A
Cordulegaster trinacriae
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 the south of Italy and on Sicily | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Cordulegastridae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Near Threatened, Endemic | |
| Scientific name | • Cordulegaster trinacriae Waterston, 1976 | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • rivers and streams in forests | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 73-79 mm; hindwing: 45-49 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 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 | |
| • compared to C. boltonii the upper appendages are more separated at the base | ||
| 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 the south of Italy |
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.
