Bug FAQPlains Emerald
Somatochlora ensigera · Order: Odonata · Family: Corduliidae
Plains Emerald dragonflies are about 5 cm long and have a dark metallic green body with clear wings and bold yellow spots on the sides of the thorax.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Like other Somatochlora species, Plains Emeralds are dark metallic green with clear wings. Bold yellow spots appear on the sides of the thorax.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 50 mm (2 in) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In the east these waters are typically wooded, while in the west they are open but bordered by a band of riparian shrubs and trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Males fly low along streams and sometimes hover. Both sexes often perch on vegetation beside the stream. Adults are on the wing from June through September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult flight period runs from June to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Rare records exist in the eastern Midwest of the U.S. and in Southern Ontario, Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Male cerci have a distinctive shape that separates Plains Emerald from related Somatochlora species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Indiana, Montana, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Nebraska.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell a Plains Emerald dragonfly apart from similar species?
Look for the bold yellow spots on the thorax and check the shape of the male’s cerci, which are uniquely formed compared with other Somatochlora species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Corduliidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatochlora_ensigera
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.