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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Somatochlora brevicincta
Quebec Emerald


 
Scientific Name: Somatochlora brevicincta Robert, 1954
English Name: Quebec Emerald
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: Paulson, D.R. and S.W. Dunkle. 1999. A checklist of North American Odonata. Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound Occasional Paper, 56: 86 pp. Available: http://www.ups.edu/x7015.xml.
Classification Level: Species
Species Group: Invertebrate Animal
Species Code: OD-SOMBRE
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Animalia Arthropoda Insecta Odonata Corduliidae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G4 (Aug 2006)
Provincial Status: S3S4 (Mar 2023)
BC List: Blue
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada: 3 - Sensitive (2005)
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description: Metallic brown with eyes bright green in life. Larva unknown.
Migration Characteristics:
(Global / Provincial)
 
    Nonmigrant:
    Local Migrant:
    Distant Migrant:
    Within Borders Migrant:
N /
N /
N /
na /
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence)
Wetland / Bog / Obligate
Wetland / Fen / Obligate
Global Habitat Comments: Lentic. Habitat is predominantly bogs, fens, and heaths.

The microhabitat (sub-EO) is water-suspended or water-saturated SPHAGNUM ("quaking bog" and "moss lawn") whether or not associated with open water, and typically showing graminaceous emergents indicating weak minerotrophism.

Eggs are laid outside plant tissues on the moss or adjacent water surface, with the larvae likely living within the saturated moss itself rather than on its interface with open water. The species has not been observed at open-water peatland ponds. Landforms in which the habitat can develop will generally be of bedrock or surficial deposits with little mineralizing potential and be of some relief as the habitat is dependent for its weak mineralization upon short or isolated catchments. However these habitats may also form adjacent to or within peat bogs or heaths which can form in low relief areas.
Food Habits: Invertivore: Adult, Immature
Global Food Habits Comments:
Global Phenology: Diurnal: Adult
Global Phenology Comments: Larvae must overwinter, life cycle probably at least 2 years, flight season mid July to early September.
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Colonial Breeder: N
Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): 5/ 6/
Elevation (m) (min / max): Global: 
Provincial: 
   
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Global Range Comment: Known from eastern Canada (Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland), northern Maine, and a western population in British Columbia. Recently discovered in Minnesota.
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author: DUNKLE, S. W.
Last Updated: Jan 17, 1991
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
   
References and Related Literature
Somatochlora brevicincta in Royal British Columbia Museum and the Spencer Entomological Museum. 2004bg. Odonata distribution maps based on data from the Royal British Columbia Museum and the Spencer Entomological Museum. Produced by Clover Point Cartographics for the Royal British Columbia Museum and Conservation Data Centre,
Victoria, BC.

Bick, G.H. 1983. Odonata at risk in conterminous United States and Canada. Odonatologica 12(3):209-226.
Cannings, R. 2002. Rare Dragonflies of British Columbia, B.C. Minist. Sustainable Resour. Manage., and B.C. Minist. Water, Land and Air Prot. 6pp.
Ramsay, L.R., and R.A. Cannings. 2004. Determining the Status of British Columbia's Dragonflies. In T.D. Hooper, ed. Proc. of the Species at Risk 2004 Pathways to Recovery Conf. March 2-6, 2004, Victoria, B.C. Species at Risk 2004 Pathways to Recovery Conference Organizing Committee, Victoria, BC. 12pp.
Walker, E.M., and P.S. Corbet. 1975. The Odonata of Canada and Alaska. Vol 3. The Anisoptera--Three families. Univ. Toronto Press. 307 pp.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1991. Species Summary: Somatochlora brevicincta. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Oct 17, 2025).