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Sticker of Golden gem
Bug card No. 1940 of 4,939

Golden gem

Libellago lineata
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsDragonflies and damselfliesPonds, rivers and shores6 legs

The golden gem is a damselfly, a slim cousin of the dragonfly. It lives in many countries in Asia. Look for it near clear streams and rivers, where it flits over the water.

Lives in
Many countries in Asia, by clear streams and rivers
Top speed
about 10 km/h (6.2 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Damselflies have no sting and do not hurt people.
What does it eat?
Like other damselflies, it catches small insects. Its babies grow up under water and hunt tiny water animals there.
For real!Photo of Golden gem
Picture by Balakrishnan Valappil. CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Another name for it is the river heliodor.

2

Scientists once split it into three kinds, called subspecies, from different parts of Asia.

3

Two of those kinds, from the Andaman Islands and from South India, are now counted as species of their own.

you asked

Most asked questions about Golden gem

?Is the golden gem dangerous?

No. It is a damselfly, and damselflies have no sting.

?Where does the golden gem live?

In many Asian countries, near clear streams and rivers.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Libellago lineata
Named by
Burmeister, 1839
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Chlorocyphidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Chlorocyphidae
Lives on
Asia
Also known as
River heliodor

Where the facts come from

  1. Libellago lineata (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Balakrishnan Valappil. CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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