Northern Emerald
male Northern Emerald
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Anisoptera
Family:	Corduliidae
Genus:	Somatochlora
Species:	S. arctica
Binomial name
Somatochlora arctica (Selys, 1871)

The Northern Emerald (Somatochlora arctica) is a middle-sized species of dragonfly. The male can be recognised by its pincer-like appendages and its narrow-waisted body. The female has distinctive orange-yellow spots on (only) the third segment of the abdomen. This species lives in bogs and lays its eggs in very small water-filled depressions. It hunts between trees and avoids open spaces.

In Great Britain, it is only present in northwestern Scotland and is confined to the southwestern part of Ireland.^[1] It is present in all of northern Eurasia. In Western Europe, it is present in Alpine areas and wherever a suitable habitat can be found.

[edit] References

1. ^ "Somatochlora arctica - Northern Emerald". British Dragonfly Society. 2006-09-13. http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/soarc.htm. 

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