Species account

Plettet Smaragdlibel (Somatochlora flavomaculata)    (Vander Linden, 1825)
   Smaragdlibeller og lignende (Corduliidae) [Guldsmede]    YSEM    24815
Yellow-spotted Emerald (gb)   Gulfläckad Glanstrollslända (se)  
Synonyms (scientific):
Cordulia vicetina Disconzi, 1865
Measurements:
To 45-54mm Ab 34-43mm Hw 32-39mm
Generations:
Flight period:
JFMAMJJASOND 
Scan
EU
Identification:
Unique emerald with the yellow abdominal spots; larger on female than on male.

The male, as the other male emeralds has a narrow waist (narrowest on S3).
Similar species:
Life stages:
After the short mating, few minutes, in low bushes or vegetation the solo flying female drops the eggs into the water or wet plant material. The eggs are held together by a jelly-like substance and hatch after about 3 weeks. The larvae live at the bottom in-between water plants or the mud and develop during 2-3 years. The imago-transformation takes place near the water shore.
Distribution:
Most of Europe; absent Iberian peninsula, most of the British Isles, most of Norway, the northern part of Fennoscandinavia, Bulgaria, Romania and Mediterranean region except Corsica, parts of Italy and the Balkans. Also present patchily in Turkey. Also present in Ukraine and Russia eastward to Kazakhstan. In Denmark mainly present in the eastern part and particularly NE Sjælland. But seen in all regions.
Habitat:
Behavior:
- Can enter diapause buried in the bottom mud when conditions are difficult.
Endemic:
Status
Somewhat localized in Denmark but stable and apparently expanding from east to west. Also spreading north in Sweden, likely due to climate changes. Most common in NE Sjælland while observations in other parts, especially Jylland, most often refer to a single animal.
Comment:
Smallshire and Swash 2020 has HW measurement to 34-43mm different from Billqvist 2023 and Dijkstra & Schröter 2020.

Unique emerald with the yellow abdominal spots; larger on female than on male.

The male, as the other male emeralds has a narrow waist (narrowest on S3).
Yellow-spotted Emerald 969    (6 photos)
2022-06-25    Holmegaards Mose, Denmark

Imago
I think there are more than one involved here, but all are males by the narrow waist.



Yellow-spotted Emerald 583    (3 photos)
2021-06-16    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Han
Fandens hul.
Spotted it flyving, and only saw it flying insistently forth and back in front of me at slow speed, but not slow enough to get good photos.

Male with the narrow waist. The size of the yellow abdominal spots is difficult to judge due to blurriness.



Yellow-spotted Emerald 968    (2 photos)
2022-06-25    Holmegaards Mose, Denmark

Imago Han
First time I manage to see this species perched. At first it behaved as they normally do, patrolling endlessly in front of me. But after 5 minutes it finally calmed down. But only long enough for me to take the photos, whereafter it took off again.
Yellow-spotted Emerald 925    (3 photos)
2022-07-12    Ronneby-area (Blekinge), Sweden

Imago Han
Same behavior whether in Denmark or Sweden. Constantly patrolling when intruders like us show up.



Yellow-spotted Emerald 1752    (3 photos)
2023-07-08    Jenskær (Silkeborg), Denmark

Imago Han
At least two animals present and flying around me. I'm not sure if all photos are of the same individual. Actually the last photo of the animal seen from below looks like it doesn't have the triangled lower appendage of the male, why it could be a female. Though, I'm not sure if the females behave like this..?



Yellow-spotted Emerald 2211    (1 photos)
2023-08-17    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Han
A single animal patrolling.



Yellow-spotted Emerald 2731    (2 photos)
2024-06-04    Ejby Mose (Glostrup), Denmark

Imago Han
I had spotted a metallica [Glinsende Smaragdlibel] but this one showed up too when going through the photos. I did perceive two animals in flight at the same time, but couldn't see details in the field.

I assume it's a male with restricted spots on the abdomen, which actually are very restricted even for a male. It could easily have gone unnoticed and perhaps as a metallica as well, thinking the spot-paleness was just the result of quick reflections in the sun. The abdomen shape is not that wrong for a metallica, but the long straight appendages are, but fit well on a flavomaculata.



Yellow-spotted Emerald 2851    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Han
Den våde eng ved krebseklo-vandhullet.
4 males present, constantly patrolling each their territory, at times clashing in dispute, but most of the time just flying forth and back hoping for a well-shaped goodiebag to come by.
An individual with very small yellow marks, making them difficult to perceive in flight, but the slender body and the patrolling behavior in open air are good indicators of this species.



Yellow-spotted Emerald 2852    (2 photos)
2024-07-06    Krebseklo-vandhullet/kirkegård (Hørsholm), Denmark

Imago Han
Den våde eng ved krebseklo-vandhullet.
A more well-marked individual of the four males seen here today. But just wondering if I might have photographed two different animals here, because the amount of yellow on the abdomen is very different the two sides between. There was heavy interaction at times and maybe I lost track of which was which.