Golden-ringed dragonfly

The golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) is a large, striking dragonfly and the longest British species,[1] the only member of its genus to be found in the United Kingdom.[2]

Golden-ringed dragonfly
male
Fermyn Woods, Northamptonshire
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Odonata
Suborder:
Anisoptera
Family:
Cordulegastridae
Genus:
Cordulegaster
Species:
C. boltonii
Binomial name
Cordulegaster boltonii
(Donovan, 1807)

Identification

They are easily identified by their distinctive black and yellow stripes, which no other dragonfly in the United Kingdom has.[3] A very large species, males average 74 mm and the larger females 84 mm. Wingspan is up to 101 mm.[4]

Larvae

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.[5] They emerge after about 2–5 years, and usually under the cover of darkness.

Behaviour

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.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Cordulegaster boltonii". British Dragonfly Society. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  2. "Golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii)". ARKive. Archived from the original on 2007-11-13. Retrieved February 7, 2008.
  3. "UK Safari". Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2013-11-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Wild Scotland". Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  6. "Dragonflies at Plas Farm". Archived from the original on 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2008-02-07.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.