Somatochlora ensigera
| Somatochlora ensigera | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Somatochlora ensigera | ||||||||||||
| Martin , 1906 |
Somatochlora ensigera is a species of dragonfly from the family of falcon dragonflies (Corduliidae), which belong to the large dragonflies (Anisoptera).
features
Imago
The imago of Somatochlora ensigera measures 48-51 mm, of which 35 to 38 millimeters on the abdomen ( abdominal ) omitted, which is on average within the genus. The primarily brownish and from the fourth segment black abdomen shows a distinctive pattern, which is composed as follows: Two large spots are located in the anterior lateral area of the strongly thickened second segment . The triangular spots common in the genus are located on the third segment. In the case of the males, there is also a lateral spot at the end of the second segment, which stains half of the genital lobe downwards. The abdominal appendages ( cerci ) are black.
The part of the chest ( thorax ) to which the wings attach, the so-called pterothorax, is very dark brownish red. Its appearance is dominated by two light yellow stripes and a spot of the same color. Overall, the pterothorax is very slightly hairy. The hind wings measure 33 to 35 millimeters. The wings are transparent and slightly amber at the base. The wing mark ( pterostigma ) is black.
On the face the labrum is orange and has a small point in the middle of the base. It is also bordered in black at the front. The front is metallic green on the upper side, further down there are two yellow, lateral lines. The occiput is glossy brown.
larva
The larva of the species is brownish and between 23.7 and 24.4 millimeters long of which about 13.2 millimeters are on the abdomen. The oval-shaped abdomen has its widest point at the level of the fifth and sixth segments. Furthermore, up to the ninth segment, the edge is covered with medium-length bristles. The tergites of the first nine segments are also covered with bristles on the edge facing backwards. There are also dorsal hooks on the fourth to ninth segments and lateral spines on segments eight and nine. The wing sheath measures 6.31 to 6.60 millimeters.
The thorax, which widens towards the rear, reaches a width of approximately 6.3 to 6.4 millimeters at the level of the mesothorax , which corresponds to the width of the head. As on the abdomen, there are bristles on the thorax. These sit here on the lateral margins, on the coxae and on the sterna .
The head is about twice as wide as it is long and has a concave occiput. Small bristles occasionally form lines and accumulate in different places. The antennae are a good four and a half millimeters long and have bristles on the two basal segments. The labium extends just below the level of the middle pair of legs. There are seven to eight stylus and twelve to fifteen pre-mental bristles .
The dark yellow legs have two brownish bands on the Fermora .
Spread and time of flight
The species is distributed in the interior of the North American continent in the United States and Canada . It flies between June and August.
literature
- James George Needham , Minter Jackson Westfall , Michael L. May : Dragonflies of North America. Revised edition. Scientific Publishers, Gainesville FL 2000, ISBN 0-945417-94-2 .
- Donald G. Huggins: The Nymph of Somatochlora ensigera (Odonata: Corduliidae) , Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society , 56 (3) 415-419, 1983