Brilliant Emerald (Somatochlora metallica)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - dragonfly (Odonata) > Dragonfly or damselfly |
| Red List Status: | Vulnerable (Not Relevant) [VU(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Somatochlora metallica |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Vander Linden, 1825) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Daguet et al., 2008 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Listed in the British Odonata Red Data List (Daguet et al., 2008) as Vulnerable (qualifying criteria: B1a, B1b i,ii; B2a, B2b, i,ii ). A significant proportion of the British population is located in England. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Only found in the South East within England. Associated with standing and slow-flowing waters that are often partially or completely shaded; it occurs mainly at large woodland ponds and lakes and adjacent heathland. A lack of suitable habitat primarily limits its recovery. Many sites are highly isolated and are becoming increasingly degraded due to a lack of protection/appropriate management. Surviving woodland sites may be too fragmented and fragile to maintain required habitat conditions as the effects of climate change intensify. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Re-naturalization of rivers through actions such as re-profiling and re-meandering, as well as diversification of riparian vegetation and allowing the development of tree growth. Rewetting of woodland areas to create shaded pools and lakes. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 6. Recovery solutions trialled |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Climate change |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Combination - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Occupancy is being surveyed by the British Dragonfly Society Recording Scheme; however, the species' elusive nature means it is likely under-recorded. Some breeding sites are monitored. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Establish a national monitoring programme to monitor species and habitat at breeding sites. Monitoring programmes will collect data on population size and location, as well as the condition and location of suitable breeding habitat.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments: Results used to inform Key Action 2 and 3. Would there be economies if the monitoring actions for Coenagrion mercuriale, Lestes dryas, and Somatochlora metallica were combined? There would be some reduction in cost, but the 3 species occur in different sites so you cannot monitor all 3 at the same site.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Recommendations of site reports produced by Action 1 to be incorporated into site management plans and implemented. Management actions will aim to protect and enhance habitat on sites to encourage population growth. This includes increasing the availability of suitable habitat through activities such as tree planting and heathland restoration. Success will be measured by Key Action1.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments: The duration and priority sites will be determined by Key Action 1.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Establish protective measures at key sites where disturbance is a significant threat to larvae and emerging adults and reducing habitat suitability; for example, limiting bankside access during the emergence period, or limiting access to areas within wetland sites that are likely to be inhabited by larvae (shallow areas with benthic leaf litter). Success will be measured by Key Action 1.
Action targets: 5. Remedial action identified
Action type: Pressure mitigation
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments: The duration and priority sites will be determined by Key Action 1.
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.