The brilliant emerald, Somatochlora metallica, is a middle-sized species of dragonfly. It is the largest and greenest of the Somatochlora species; 50–55 millimetres (2.0–2.2 in) long.[4]

Brilliant emerald
Brilliant emerald (Somatochlora metallica) teneral male.jpg
teneral male
Brilliant emerald (Somatochlora metallica) teneral female 3.jpg
teneral female
both Moat Pond, Thursley Common, Surrey
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Family: Corduliidae
Genus: Somatochlora
Species:
S. metallica
Binomial name
Somatochlora metallica
(Vander Linden, 1825)
Synonyms

S. metallica is found across most of northern Eurasia where it is the commonest of its genus.[4] In Great Britain, it is locally common in south east England and has a very restricted population in Scotland.[5]

The East Asian Somatochlora vera, scientifically described in 1914 by Aleksandr Bartenev based on a specimen from Ussuri, Siberia[6] (and later also reported in northern China[7]), is typically treated as part of S. metallica,[3][7] but has also been considered a synonym of the East Asian S. exuberata.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Clausnitzer, V. (2020). "Somatochlora metallica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T158705A140535511. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T158705A140535511.en. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  2. ^ Billqvist, M.; De Knijf, G.; van Grunsven, R.H.A.; Prunier, F.; Vinko, D. (2024). "Somatochlora metallica (Europe assessment)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024: e.T158705A208827490. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. (2024). "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral, University of Alabama.
  4. ^ a b Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B. (2006). Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe. British Wildlife Publishing. ISBN 0-9531399-4-8.
  5. ^ "The Brilliant Emerald". British Dragonfly Society.
  6. ^ Steinmann, Henrik (1997). World Catalogue of Odonata II: Anisoptera. De Gruyter. p. 273.
  7. ^ a b Zhang, Hao-Miao; Vogt, Timothy E.; Cai, Qing-hua (2014). "Somatochlora shennong sp. nov. from Hubei, China (Odonata: Corduliidae)". Zootaxa.
  8. ^ Malikova, Elena I.; Kosterin, Oleg E. (2019). "Check-list of Odonata of the Russian Federation". Odonatologica. 48 (1/2): 49–78. doi:10.5281/zenodo.2677689.