Downy Emerald
(Cordulia aenea)
A dragonfly in the Anisoptera suborder. Since the last century, they have been found in the Reserve and are still present in large numbers.
Distribution
The species is spread throughout Central and Northern Europe and in Siberia over to the Amur River. In Italy they are found only in the Alps, pre-Alpine areas, and the Po Valley in Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino, and Friuli, as well as some remaining outposts in the Southern Apennines, indicating their broader habitat tied to the cooler climate of the past.
Description
An average-size dragonfly with characteristic metallic colouring, a greenish-bronze body that, in older specimens, has red tones on the front of the thorax. In the plains, it is a very early species. In favourable years, the first ones can be seen in April, practically disappearing by mid-June.
Habitat
They favour the stagnant water of small lakes and peat bogs, preferably with rather low temperatures (recalling that this is a northern species). They may also be very common in limited areas. Adults do not stray far from where they moult, and males in particular wander around the edges of the water, flying about half a metre above the water, continuously patrolling for females. The females, in turn, frequent the surrounding forests and countryside, but as soon as they approach the water, are immediately sighted and joined by the males.
Observation in the Torbiera Reserve
They are relatively frequent and can be seen easily as they fly dexterously just above the water in the tangle of rushes and along the banks of the water.
