Atlas goldenring  (Cordulegaster princeps)

Biology

Virtually nothing has been recorded of the Atlas goldenring’s biology and behaviour, but this may be inferred from what is known about C. boltonii, a structurally similar European relative. The eggs hatch 3 to 6 weeks after egg deposition and the larval period should last 2 to 3 years, perhaps more at the highest altitudes. It should include 12 to 14 stadia. After metamorphosis and emergence, adults, which are, like other Odonata species, generalised, opportunistic feeders, feed on flying insects. Males don't establish territories but patrol over long distances along river edges, searching for reproductive females, and stand quite often on herbs or branches exposed to the sun. Females are generally hidden and are much more scarcely observed than males. They lay by driving their eggs in the sandy sediments of rivers and brooks through a rhythmic vertical flight, distinctive of golden-ringed dragonflies (4).

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