Brilliant Emerald
(Somatochlora metallica)

The Brilliant Emerald is probably the commonest Emerald in Europe. Its range stretches from Northern Scandinavia down to France and Northern Italy. Unfortunately it doesn't reach Central Italy, and so we've only come across this species on our travels. Somatochlora metallica is a medium-sized dragonfly and - in terms of its behaviour - a typical Emerald species; it's a tireless flier and will hardly ever settle down for a rest. Only on two occasions have we managed to beat the odds and photograph this species well: on the first occasion we managed to sneak up on a copula that had settled in a tree in an otherwise featureless wetland, and on the second we saw a teneral female make her maiden flight before settling down on a tree trunk for a rest. The species' distinguishing features include its entirely metallic-green body and the female's exceedingly long vulvar scale, which sits at a 90-degree angle to the abdomen.

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