Cordulegastridae

Cordulegaster – Goldenrings – Spiketails (N/A)

Common Goldenring – Golden-ringed Dragonfly- Cordulegaster boltonii – UK -European Dragonfly photo

The Common Goldenring ( Cordulegaster boltonii ) is certainly a favourite dragonfly for many people due to its large size and striking black and yellow markings. The sub species C.b. algirica was shown to me in Andalucia by Arturo Bernal. They always breed in springs, small streams and rivers. Sub species C.b immaculifrons was photographed in Southern France near the Crau Desert.

KEY I/D FEATURES :

In both sexes the grey-green eyes touch at a central point on the head, there are two broad yellow thoracic stripes and the costa is also yellow. The long black abdomen is club shaped at the end with yellow spotting on Segments 2-8 and Segments 9-10 being mostly black. The markings on the side of the thorax show two broad yellow bars divided by a black band which itself is split by a yellow angled ‘exclamation mark’. On the side of Segment 1 the black mark forms a reversed ‘C’ shape.

In the southern Spanish sub species C.b.algirica the yellow markings on Segments 3 and 5 are longer and the bottom edge of the yellow bands on Segments 3-7 appear to form a ‘W’ shape against the black.

Females are even larger than the males and have a spear shaped vulvar scale which projects beyond the end of the abdomen and acts as an ovipositer. 

On the sub species C.b immaculifrons the yellow marking on Segment 3 is similar in length to that in C.b. algerica but the bottom edge of all the yellow bands on the rest of the abdomen show a far less pronounced ‘W’ shape.