Sympetrum danae
Sympetrum danae (Sulzer, 1776)
Local names: Black darter, Schwarze Heidelibelle, Zwarte heidelibel, Sympétrum noir, Svart ängstrollslända
Species Information
Description
Small mainly black dragonfly with a wobbly flight, almost like a butterfly. The thorax is yellow on the sides with a central black band having three yellow smaller dots (beware of dark forms of S. striolatum when using this characteristic) . In the males the abdomen is entirely black whereas in the females it is orange and black. In any event it has a broad black band on each side of the entire length of the abdomen. On top front of the thorax is a characteristic dark brown or black triangle. The pterostigma is black in mature individuals and whitish in the tenerals. Legs are all black, except for the very uppermost part. Face is initially yellow and darkens with age. Opposed to all other Sympetrum the upper appendages are black.
Other small black dragonflies, like S. nigrescens, Diplacodes lefebvrii, Selysiothemis nigra or Trithemis festiva, should be out of range when comparing to this species, that is most common in the north of Europe.
Size
Habitat
Sympetrum danae mainly occurs in sunny moorlands, Sphagnum peat bogs and shallow acidic lakes, ponds without fish but with extensive margins compomising sedges and rushes. It is less often found, and then at lower densities, at partly desiccated ponds, ditches, fens and marshes. In calcareous mountains such as the Jura, the species also occur at alkaline waters where either a lack of fish or the presence of vegetation providing shelter against fish predation is a key factor. Individuals recorded at old gravel pits in the west and south-west of its range at low elevations are generally vagrants and do not result in viable populations in the long term. In the Mediterranean region, the species is confined to mountain bogs and lakes.
Distribution
Sympetrum danae has a Holarctic distribution and is widespread and common in large parts of northern Eurasia and North-America. In Europe it is widespread and common in northern and central Europe. In the south of its range it is confined to higher elevations including the Massif Central, the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Carpathians and the Caucasus where reproduction is known up to 2 040 m. In some years, influxes occur in areas where the species is usually absent or rare, producing short-lived populations outside the normal species range. In Fennoscandia it is common to very common in most parts, but more sparsely in the very north and is absent locally where suitable habitats are missing.
Flight Period
June to September
Behavior
Sympetrum danae has a jerky bouncy flight, like S. sanguineum with which it often co-occurs. Males are not very aggressive and several individuals can be seen near each other at suitable habitats. Especially males are able to travel far and can be seen far from suitable water bodies. The species perches directly on the ground or in low vegetation out in open areas or on lookout spots in edge zones. Early mornings you can see them press against sun-heated areas, like stones or dry cowpats, to heat up themselves.
The mating takes place with the dragonflies perched and during oviposition the females are accompanied and guarded by the males that hold them by the head. Eggs are mainly laid in floating Sphagnum moss, where they stay intact until next spring. When they hatch, larval development is very quick, taking as little as two months until the imago emerges.
Conservation Status
Similar Species
Sympetrum striolatum
External Links
Genus: Sympetrum
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. Most Sympetrum fly in late summer and autumn, breeding in ponds and foraging over meadows.
Identification
Rather small libellulids. Mature males, with the exception of a black species, have an abdomen which is a shade of red. Black markings are variable, but usually at least present as traces on the thorax sutures, legs and abdomen. Hindwing base is clear or marked with yellow or amber.
Separation from other genera
The only smaller libellulids without a dark hindwing patch and often a red abdomen in much of our range. Crocothemis legs lack any black and the abdomen is broader (only some Turkish Sympetrum have almost no black on their legs). Red Trithemis are similar in stature but mature males have a much brighter appearance. Brachythemis has a plump, cylindrical abdomen.
Separation of the species
A large and often common genus. Many species can cause identification problems, especially when observing with binoculars only. In most areas, the difficulty will focus on the pair S. striolatum - S. vulgatum, but along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts in particular up to four similar species may overlap. These vary in the extent of the black markings, and this has led to taxonomic problems.
Behaviour
All darters behave similarly. They spend most of their time on a prominent perch, from which short dashes are undertaken to chase prey or rivals. Males often attain high densities along the water's edge, defending a small 'private space' around themselves rather than a territory. Oviposition always commences in tandem, but species differ somewhat in their mode of flight and choice of oviposition site.
Family: Libellulidae
The skimmers or perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest dragonfly family in the world. 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 still remains a family of over 1000 species. With nearly worldwide distribution, these are almost certainly the most often seen of all dragonflies.
The genus Libellula is mostly New World, but also has one of the few endangered odonates from Japan: Libellula angelina. Many of the members of this genus are brightly colored or have banded wings. The related genus Plathemis includes the whitetails. The genus Celithemis contains several brightly marked species in the southern United States. Members of the genus Sympetrum are called darters (or meadowhawks in North America) and are found throughout most of the world, except Australia. Several Southern Hemisphere species in the genera Trithemis and Zenithoptera are especially beautiful. Other common genera include Tramea and Pantala.
The libellulids have stout-bodied larvae with the lower lip or labium developed into a mask over the lower part of the face.
The family name may have been derived from the Latin libella which means booklet.