Corduliidae

Arctic emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora arctica)

  • Falk Dragonflies ( Cordulia )
  • Two spots ( epitheca )
  • Flow Ruler ( Macromia )
  • River Hawks ( Oxygastra )
  • Emerald Dragonfly ( Somatochlora )

The Falk Dragonflies ( Corduliidae ) are a family of dragonflies ( Odonata ). In Germany, seven species of this group live. The name derives from the family is the Falk dragonfly ( Cordulia Aenea ). Their scientific genus name Cordulia means something like " the club-shaped " ( Griech.: kordyleia ), which refers to the Abdomenform of the male.

Features

The Falk Dragonflies are medium-sized representatives of the dragonflies ( Anisoptera ); their closest relatives are the sails Dragonflies ( Libellulidae ). Most species have relatively long legs and are metallic - colored green (aged partly copper-colored, some also gloomy and dull), with particularly the bodies of the emerald dragonfly ( genus Somatochlora ) have a shimmering green. The eyes are often colored in bright shades of green. The ovipositor ( ovipositor ) of the females is reduced to a simple flap. The eggs are sold individually ( Somatochlora ), in lumps ( Cordulia ) or spawning cords ( epitheca ) into the water. The stocky acting larvae wear a helmet and mask are partially equipped with extra long legs and conspicuous spines on the abdomen.

Way of life

Its common names owe the Falk dragonflies the swift flight of her male imagos, in which they frequently change the direction. This is reminiscent of the flight of a hawk. The males fall in addition to by persevering and skilful flying activities. The females, however, are shy and often hide in the riparian vegetation.

The pairing of the animals begins in flight, but ended sitting. For oviposition, the female is not accompanied by the male. It flies to most closely above the water surface and dips his abdomen several times briefly into the water; Some species lay their eggs in the muddy banks.

The larvae remain at especially at the body of water and are very slow motion. Often they are also found in the mud. Your development time usually takes place over two to three years, some types are twelve or more larval stages known.

Falk dragonflies have very narrowly defined habitat requirements. Some species specialize in dystrophic bog waters, others prefer natural, weedy waters in floodplains and lowlands.

Fossil record

The fossil record of Falk dragonflies is a total of only very sparse, and because of the systematic discussion, the assignment is difficult. As one of the oldest known Falk dragonflies applies the Eocordulia cretacea, which in 1986 was described from Mongolia and comes from the Lower Cretaceous; the assignment is, however, doubted. A trapped in amber wings from the early Eocene of France has similarities with those of various Falk dragonfly genera ( Dorocordulia, William Sonia, Hemicordulia ), other findings from the Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene are assigned to the genera Croatocordulia, Stenogomphus, Miocordulia, Cordulia, Epitheca and Epophthalmia, but are also debatable. As the oldest, certainly the Falk dragonflies associated with fossil find is now the Molecordulia described in 2005 karinae from the Paleocene of Denmark, with an age of about 65 million years ago.

Genera and species

Currently, 39 species of dragonflies Falk be distinguished. In Europe, 11 species from a total of 5 genera are native to the types of emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora ) with 7 species predominates while the remaining other four genera are represented by only one each way.

  • Aeschnosoma Selys, 1870
  • Antipodochlora Fraser, 1939
  • Apocordulia Watson, 1980
  • Archaeophya Fraser, 1959
  • Austrocordulia Tillyard, 1909
  • Austrophya Tillyard, 1909
  • Cordulephya Selys, 1870
  • Falk Dragonflies ( Cordulia ) Falk Dragonfly, Common Emerald Damselfly ( Cordulia Aenea )
  • Two spot, two spot dragonfly ( Epitheca bimaculata )
  • European river ruler ( Macromia splendens)
  • Gekielter River Falcon ( Oxygastra curtisii )
  • Alpine emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora alpestris )
  • Arctic emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora arctica)
  • Rhodope emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora Borisi )
  • Spotted emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora flavomaculata )
  • Balkan emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora meridionalis )
  • Brilliant emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora metallica )
  • Polar emerald dragonfly ( Somatochlora sahlbergi )
Northern Emerald Libelluloidea William Forsell Kirby Heiko Bellmann
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