The chasers, darters, skimmers and perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest family of dragonflies. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the Macromiidae as the subfamily Macromiinae. Even if these are excluded, there remains a family of over 1000 species. With nearly worldwide distribution, these are almost certainly the most often seen of all dragonflies.
The red-veined darter or nomad is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum.
The common darter is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae native to Eurasia. It is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe, occurring in a wide variety of water bodies, though with a preference for breeding in still water such as ponds and lakes. In the south of its range adults are on the wing all year round.
The vagrant darter is a European dragonfly. The species takes its English name from its habit of occasionally appearing as a rare vagrant north of its normal range. However, it is likely to be under-recorded because it is very similar to the common darter.
The yellow-winged darter is a dragonfly found in Europe and mid and northern China. Breeding is confined to stagnant water, usually in peat bogs. Although not resident in the United Kingdom it occasionally migrates there in some numbers. Such 'Invasion Years' occurred in 1906, 1926, 1945, 1953, and 1995. On each occasion a small breeding colony appeared, but they have invariably died out after a few years.
The ruddy darter is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.
The variegated meadowhawk is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to North America.
Sympetrum pedemontanum, the banded darter, is a dragonfly belonging to the genus Sympetrum. It is characterized by its small stature, dark wing bands, and red or yellow body. It lives in areas with low vegetation and stagnant or weakly flowing bodies of water. Although debate exists regarding the taxa's relationship to others in its genus, it can most commonly be identified by its wing bands, bilobed prothorax, and possibly its genitalia.
Sympetrum is a genus of small to medium-sized skimmer dragonflies, known as darters in the UK and as meadowhawks in North America. The more than 50 species predominantly live in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere; 15 species are native to North America. No Sympetrum species is native to Australia.
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.
Sympetrum dilatatum, the St. Helena darter, was a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It was endemic to Saint Helena. In 2021, it was declared extinct by the IUCN. There have been no recorded sightings since 1962 and it is no longer present at the only two locations it was previously found at.
Sympetrum navasi is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in Benin, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, possibly Burundi, and possibly Tanzania. Its natural habitats are shrub-dominated wetlands, swamps, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marshes.
The band-winged meadowhawk is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum belonging to the family Libellulidae.
Sympetrum internum, the cherry-faced meadowhawk, is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum. It is found across northern and central United States and most of Canada, including southern portions of the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Its abdomen is brown, turning dark red at maturity in both sexes. The sides of the abdomen are marked with black triangles and the legs are black. Some females have amber in basal areas of their wings. As their name suggests, faces are dark red when mature. Size: 21–36 mm (0.83–1.42 in). This species overlaps with and is difficult to distinguish from the ruby, saffron-winged, and white-faced meadowhawks.
Sympetrum meridionale, the southern darter, is a species of dragonfly belonging to the Skimmer family Libellulidae.
Sympetrum illotum, the cardinal meadowhawk, is a species of skimmer in the dragonfly family Libellulidae. It is found in North America and South America, including islands in the Caribbean.
Sympetrum depressiusculum, the spotted darter, is a dragonfly species from the family Libellulidae, distributed across temperate parts of Eurasia.
