Sympetrum danae

Sympetrum danae, the black darter or black meadowhawk is a dragonfly found in northern Europe, Asia, and North America. At about 30 mm (1.2 in) long, it is Britain's smallest resident dragonfly. It is a very active late summer insect typical of heathland and moorland bog pools.

Black darter
Male
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Sympetrum
Species:
S. danae
Binomial name
Sympetrum danae
(Sulzer, 1776)
Synonyms[1]
  • Libellula danae Sulzer, 1776
  • Libellula nigra Vander Linden, 1825
  • Libellula nigricula Eversmann, 1836
  • Libellula scotica Donovan, 1811
  • Libellula veronensis Charpentier, 1825
  • Sympetrum arcticum Matsumura, 1911
  • Sympetrum verum Bartenev, 1915

Members of the genus Sympetrum are known as darters in the UK and as meadowhawks in the US and Canada.[2]

Identification

Both sexes have black legs and pterostigmata and a very broad base to the hind wing. The thorax has yellow sides separated by a bold black panel in which are three yellow spots, resembling a highland darter (Sympetrum nigrescens).[3]

The male has a mainly black thorax and abdomen. The abdomen has small yellow marks on the side, that darken with age. The wings are clear.[3]

The female has black legs and brown eyes. The abdomen is mainly yellow, becoming browner with age. It has small yellow patches at the wing bases.[3]

Breeding

This darter is restricted to acidic shallow pools, lake margins and ditches in lowland heath and moorland bogs, usually with bog-mosses and rushes. Eggs are laid in flight by dipping the tip of the abdomen into the water.[4] The eggs hatch the following spring and the larvae develop very rapidly, emerging after as little as two months.[5]

Behaviour

Males frequently bask in the sun, on open ground. The flight action is rather skittish resembling the ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum). Males are not territorial, but actively seek out females. This species is the smallest of Britain’s dragonflies. Although not as colourful as some other dragonflies it is a lovely dragonfly to watch. They often perch on a sunny spot on the ground. Their flight is a little skittish, and often flies away as you approach, but sometimes it is in a 'friendly mood' and lets you get very close. Sometimes they may even land on an observer’s hand.

Population and conservation

In the British Isles, this dragonfly is very locally distributed in the lowlands, but more widespread in the north-west and Ireland. It is often very locally abundant and maybe this triggers dispersal. Records from the south coast suggest that immigration from the continent does occur. Its main threats, however, are development, drainage, agriculture, and peat extraction.[3]

References
  1. Paulson, D.R. (2017). "Sympetrum danae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T165473A65834539. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T165473A65834539.en. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  3. "Sympetrum danae". British Dragonfly Society. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  4. Dave Smallshire; Andy Swash (22 May 2014). Britain's Dragonflies: A Field Guide to the Damselflies and Dragonflies of Britain and Ireland – Fully Revised and Updated Third Edition. Princeton University Press. pp. 6, 142. ISBN 978-1-4008-5186-7.
  5. "Sympetrum danae, Black Darter dragonfly, identification guide". www.first-nature.com.
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