Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Length
37mm, Wings 57mm.
Males
Thorax brown with yellow patches on sides; abdomen orange/red with black central line last 2 segments ; legs black/yellow; eyes brownish; black line top of frons only.
Females
Thorax pale brown with yellow side panels; abdomen yellow with black central line segments 9-10 and along sides. Old females tend to take on male colours.
Gallery
Habitat
Any water.
Behavior
Find many males together over water. Eggs laid in tandem, eggs flipped into water. Larvae 1 year.
Flight Period
Mid-June to October. Found throughout England and Wales except very high ground.
Recorded at the Following Featured Locations
View the latest sightings for this species.
- Walton Colliery Nature Park
- Pugneys Country Park
- The Arboretum, Kew at Castle Howard
- Nosterfield Local Nature Reserve
- Timble Ings
- Fairburn Ings
- High Batts Nature Reserve
- Ellington Banks MoD Training Area
- Johnny Brown's Common
- Potteric Carr
- Dundale Pond
- Tranmire Bog
- Fen Bog
- Spurn Point
- Skipwith Common
- Saltmarshe Delph
- Pulfin and High Eske Nature Reserve
- Pocklington Canal
- Oak Road Lake, Hull
- North Cave Wetlands
- Leven Canal
- Hornsea Mere
- Filey Dams
- Eastrington Ponds
- Broomfleet Washlands
- Bransholme Fishing Lake, East Hull
- Allerthorpe Common
- Tophill Low Nature Reserve