Emeralds
Family Corduliidae
Genus Somatochlora
Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii)



Flight season: late May to mid-August.

Population: uncommon. Look for this dragonfly at marshes and the Stoco Fen.

Length: about 45 mm to 50 mm. The short abdomen relative to the wingspan, amber wash on the wings and (males) very hairy claspers serve to distinguish this species.


Stoco Fen, east of Tweed on East Hungerford Road: relatively little open water compared to a marsh. Wetland supporting sedges, orchids, Bog Labrador Tea, Pitcher Plants and other fen indicator species, trees are mainly Tamarack and Eastern White Cedar.
Male Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii) and details of its luminous green eyes and distinctive hairy claspers (August 04, 2011).





Tweed, Ontario, about ½ km west of town, a marsh bordering the trans-Canada Trail: typical local marsh with Cattails, sedges and other emergent vegetation, various small willows, alders, dogwoods and some Tamarack.
Teneral male Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii) – as a rule it's not a good idea to handle a teneral odonate, especially by its delicate wings. Unfortunately this one was already seriously injured when it was encountered and won't likely survive much longer in any event (May 29, 2011).


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Male Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii)
June 30, 2016

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Female Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii) – the colors and patterning are similar to the male. Note the stripe and spot on the thorax, and the small spots at the bases of S5, S6 and S7 (July 11, 2015).

The scoop-shaped subgenital plate projects backward at about a 45° angle (July 11, 2015).

A closeup of the face (July 11, 2015).


Ivanhoe, the trans-Canada Trail between Wood Road and Highway 62: a small marshy lake with a wooded shoreline.
A female Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii) captured as it was hawking insects over the trail (July 10, 2016).