Emeralds
Family Corduliidae
Genus Neurocordulia
Stygian Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis)



Flight season: late May to mid-August.

Population: not uncommon, but seldom encountered due to its crepuscular habits. To date known only from this location, several exuviae have been discovered on piers of nearby bridges.

Length: about 50 mm to 55 mm.


Tweed, Ontario, the Moira River, east of town near Collin's Point: rock-bottomed river with fast flowing water, rapids and emergent rocks, the shoreline vegetation consists of wooded areas and clearings supporting tall grasses and wildflowers.
Immature male Stygian Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis) – almost still a teneral and handled with care (June 02, 2014).

Immature male Stygian Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis) – views of its claspers (June 02, 2014).




Tweed, Ontario: residential and business area.
Male Stygian Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis)
June 01, 2016



Tweed, Ontario, on the pier of the Louisa St. bridge over the Moira River: rock-bottomed river with a fast current and emergent rocks.
Teneral female Stygian Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis) – the prescence of exuviae on the bridge pier suggested this might be a good place to look for emerging tenerals. This female was encountered just before her first flight, at 5:10 AM, and seconds after the pictures were taken she departed (May 28, 2016).



Link to images of Stygian Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis) exuviae (June 2014).