Corduliidae, also knowns as the emeralds, emerald dragonflies, or green-eyed skimmers, is a family of

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

. These dragonflies are usually black or dark brown with areas of metallic green or yellow, and most of them have large, emerald-green eyes. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e are black, hairy-looking, and usually

semiaquatic In biology, being semi-aquatic refers to various macroorganisms that live regularly in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. When referring to animals, the term describes those that actively spend part of their daily time in water (in ...

. This family include species called "baskettails", "emeralds", "sundragons", "shadowdragons", and "boghaunters". They are not uncommon and are found nearly worldwide, but some individual species are quite rare. Hine's emerald dragonfly (''Somatochlora hineana''), for example, is an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

in the United States. Corduliidae are known to occasionally take quantities of their eggs at the tip of their stomach, before then sticking their eggs in mud or water using a sprout-like appendage that extends from their abdomens.

Selected genera

Some genera included in this family are: * '' Aeschnosoma'' * '' Antipodochlora'' – dusk dragonfly * '' Cordulia'' – American emeralds * '' Corduliochlora'' * '' Cordulisantosia'' * '' Dorocordulia'' – little emeralds * '' Epitheca'' – baskettails * '' Guadalca'' * '' Helocordulia'' – sundragons * '' Hemicordulia'' - emeralds * '' Heteronaias'' * '' Libellulosoma'' * '' Metaphya'' – emeralds * '' Navicordulia'' * '' Neurocordulia'' – shadowdragons * '' Paracordulia'' * '' Pentathemis'' – metallic tigerhawk * '' Procordulia'' – emeralds * '' Schizocordulia'' * '' Somatochlora'' – striped emeralds * '' Williamsonia'' – boghaunters

References

External links

Several Emerald Photos

Hine's Emerald Dragonfly Fan Page
{{Authority control Libelluloidea Odonata families Odonata of Australia Taxa named by Edmond de Sélys Longchamps Dragonflies