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Ocellated Emerald - Somatochlora minor
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
The Ocellated emerald dragonfly is currently listed as an "S2S4" potential species of concern in Montana because they are potentially at risk because of limited and/or declining numbers, range and/or habitat, even though it may be abundant in some areas.
General Description
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Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
Ocellated Emerald are widespread across northern Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland, North West Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Yukon; and the northern United States: New Hampshire, Maine south to New York in the east, and south to Colorado and Oregon in the west. Ocellated Emerald are usually encountered at higher latitudes or at higher elevations at lower latitudes. In Montana, found in the western Middle Rockies forested region of the state.
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 50
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Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
The Ocellated Emerald prefers clear, small to medium, flowing forest streams without emergent vegetation as habitat, especially stream pools and areas where streams leave the forest and open into meadows (Dunkle 2000, Paulson 2009).
National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Wetland and Riparian
Alpine Riparian and Wetland
Riparian and Wetland Forest
Riparian Shrubland
Wet Meadow and Marsh
Food Habits
Larvae feed on a wide variety of aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp. They will also eat very small fish and tadpoles.
Adult- The dragonfly will eat almost any soft-bodied flying insect including mosquitoes, flies, small moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites.
Reproductive Characteristics
Male Occellated Emeralds patrol very low over streams flying up and down small territories with lengthy periods of hovering or perching during and after flight. Females oviposit by tapping into mossy banks of streams or directly into slow-flowing water (Dunkle 2000, Paulson 2009).
Stewardship Responsibility
References
- Additional ReferencesLegend:
View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Dunkle, S.W. 2000. Dragonflies through binoculars: A field guide to dragonflies of North America. New York, NY. Oxford University Press. 266 pp.
- Paulson, D.R. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 535 pp.
- Web Search Engines for Articles on "Ocellated Emerald"
- Additional Sources of Information Related to "Insects"
