Golden-ringed dragonfly
| Golden-ringed dragonfly | |
|---|---|
| File:Golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) male.jpg | |
| Male in Fermyn Woods, Northamptonshire, UK | |
| File:The Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Cordulegaster boltonii. Female - Flickr - gailhampshire.jpg | |
| Female in Arne, Dorset, UK | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
| Family: | Cordulegastridae |
| Genus: | Cordulegaster |
| Species: | C. boltonii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
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The golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) is a large, striking species of dragonfly found widely in Europe and locally in northwestern Africa, especially near flowing waters like streams.[1] It is the longest British species of dragonfly,[2] and the only member of its genus to be found in the United Kingdom.[3]
Identification
[edit | edit source]In the United Kingdom, they are easily identified by their distinctive black and yellow stripes, which is not found in any other dragonfly in the country.[4] A very large species, males average 74 mm (2.9 in) and the longer females average 84 mm (3.3 in). Wingspan is up to 101 mm (4.0 in).[5] The female is the longest British dragonfly, in part due to the unusually long ovipositor,[2] and in other measurements it is exceeded by the emperor (Anax imperator).[6]
Larvae
[edit | edit source]The female lays the eggs in shallow water. The hairy larvae live at the bottom of the water and are well camouflaged amongst the silt.[7] They emerge after about 2–5 years, and usually under the cover of darkness.
Behaviour
[edit | edit source]They are often seen flying leisurely over mountain streams or a river; they also occasionally show up at a pond. They are also typically seen flying over heath land. Their bright yellow and black stripes make them easy to identify, even from a fair distance away. They feed mainly on insects ranging from small prey such as midges to flies, butterflies and even bumblebees. This strikingly-coloured insect is incredibly aerobatic and they sometimes fly very high up into the sky.[8]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
- File:Wikispecies-logo.svg Data related to Cordulegaster boltonii at Wikispecies
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