| Ruddy darter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male | |
 | |
| Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
| Family: | Libellulidae |
| Genus: | Sympetrum |
| Species: | S. sanguineum |
| Binomial name | |
| Sympetrum sanguineum (Müller, 1764) | |
The ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.
The ruddy darter is to be found in temperate regions throughout Europe [2] as far east as Siberia and as far south as the northern Sahara. Its conservation status is regarded as secure, and indeed numbers seem to be increasing in some locations such as central England. [1]
It is present in the following countries: Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Moldova; Monaco; Montenegro; Morocco; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Tunisia; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan. [1]
This species tends to prefer quiet bodies of water that feature semiaquatic vegetation [1] such as rushes and reeds.
The ruddy darter can reach a body length of 34–36 millimetres (1.3–1.4 in) [3] and attains a wingspan of up to 6 cm (2.4 in). These dragonflies are smaller than the Common Darter. They have black legs and the wings show a brown pterostigma and an orange color at the base of the wings. Two evident black marks are located on segments S8 and S9 of the abdomen. [3]
The head, thorax and abdomen of the mature male are vivid red, while the female is slightly smaller, and is a golden-yellow colour with black markings. The blood-red color of the males develop with maturity, together with a red frons and a red-brown thorax. [3] The abdomen widens for the final third of its length and shows a marked pinched section where it joins the thorax.
The all-black legs of the ruddy darter distinguish it from the otherwise very similar common darter (Sympetrum striolatum) and vagrant darter (Sympetrum vulgatum), both of which show yellow stripes on their legs. The spotted darter (Sympetrum depressiusculum) with all-black legs has noticeably more clubbed abdomen and brighter pterostigmata.
The ruddy darter can be found between the months of June and November. [3] Mating takes place on the wing, with the coupled pair performing a dipping flight over the water. The female jettisons her fertilised eggs at the water surface by alternating movements of the abdomen. The male may hover nearby during this period and protect the female by driving off any approaching males.
The larvae spend the year beneath the water surface before emerging and pupating into adults.
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. Adult dragonflies are characterised by a pair of large, multifaceted, compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural coloration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
The black-tailed skimmer is a dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae.
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 keeled skimmer is a species of dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae.
The large red damselfly is a species of damselflies belonging to the family Coenagrionidae. It is native to the western Palearctic.
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.
The widow skimmer is one of the group of dragonflies known as king skimmers. The nymphs live in the water, molting and growing until they are ready to emerge from the water and then molting a final time to reveal their wings.
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.
The white-legged damselfly or blue featherleg is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range.
Trithemis annulata, commonly known as the violet dropwing, violet-marked darter, purple-blushed darter, or plum-coloured dropwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in most of Africa, the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, and southern Europe. These dragonflies are called dropwings because of their habit of immediately lowering their wings after landing on a perch. Males of this species are violet-red with red veins in the wings, while females are yellow and brown. Both sexes have red eyes.
The white-faced darter or small whiteface is a dragonfly belonging to the genus Leucorrhinia in the family Libellulidae, characterised by red and black markings and a distinctive white patch on the head. It is found in wetlands and peat bogs from northern Europe eastwards to Siberia, and the adults are active from around April till September, which is known as the "flight period". It breeds in acidic bodies of water, laying its eggs in clumps of sphagnum moss that provide a safe habitat for larval development. The larvae are particularly vulnerable to predation by fish, and so are usually found in lakes where fish are not present. L. dubia is listed as a species of least concern (LC) by the IUCN Red List, however, it is potentially threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change.
Sympetrum vicinum, the Yellow-Legged Meadowhawk is one of some fifteen North American species of autumn meadowhawk, which are members of the Odonate family Libellulidae. It grows to 26–35 mm long.
The band-winged meadowhawk is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum belonging to the family Libellulidae.
The desert whitetail is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. P. subornata is often put into the genus Libellula.
Sympetrum madidum, the red-veined meadowhawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
The Hudsonian whiteface is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common name comes from where it is found, Hudson Bay.
Sympetrum meridionale, the southern darter, is a species of dragonfly belonging to the Skimmer family Libellulidae.
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