Somatochlora borisi
• English name: Bulgarian Emerald
• German name: Thrakische Smaragdlibelle
• French name: N/A
• Dutch name: Bulgaarse glanslibel
• 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: Пролетна зеленка
Somatochlora borisi
Not present
Present before 1990
Present after 1990
Present before and after 1990
Present after 2015
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | ➤ a medium-sized, metallic-green species which occurs only in the south-east | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Corduliidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Vulnerable, Endemic | |
| Scientific name | • Somatochlora borisi Marinov, 2001 | |
| Name genus | • Somatochlora: from Grk. σῶμα (stem: σωματ-) = body +; χλωρός = green | |
| Name species | • borisi: after Boris Marinov, son of Milen Marinov who described the species | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • rivers and streams in forested areas | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 45-50 mm; hindwing: 31-34 mm | |
| Notes | • a bit smaller than S. meridionalis, with which it co-occurs | |
| • cordulids are 'fliers': they spend a lot of time on the wing and seldom hang up for a rest | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the eyes are green (brown in immature animals) |
| Thorax | • the thorax is metallic green, without a yellow spot on the side (cf. S. meridionalis) | |
| Abdomen | ➤ S2 and S3 each bear two yellow spots dorsally | |
| Male | Abdomen | ➤ the upper appendages are curved outwards and bear two small teeth underneath |
| Female | Abdomen | ➤ S2 and S3 bear extensive yellow patches on the underside |
| Photographs | • all of our photos below were made in northern Greece in 2011 and 2019 |
Somatochlora borisi; appendages, male
Note how the tips are curved outwards and downwards. Note also the two small teeth underneath the base of each upper appendage.
