Sympetrum fonscolombii
Sympetrum fonscolombii (Selys, 1840)
Local names: Red-veined darter, Zwervende heidelibel, Frühe Heidelibelle, Sympétrum à nervures rouges, Vandrande ängstrollslända
Species Information
Description
One of the largest of the darters. The male's gaudy appearance and active behaviour is quite different from its more restful and subdued gogeners.
The wing veins are red in the mature males and yellow in immature and female individuals (beware as other Sympetrum species can also have pale or reddish veins). At the base of the hind wing is a yellow-orange patch which is larger than in other Sympetrum sp. but smaller compared to S. flaveolum. The pterostigma is light yellow brown in colour and bordered with black. Legs are black with yellow stripes. The eye is characteristically reddish brown on the upper part and grey light blue in the bottom part. Mature males have a red frons and the abdomen brick red. Immature males and females are yellow brown. Thorax side of the mature males often with a bluish-white dash below the wing base.
Females of this species can be confused with females of other darters, especially S. flaveolum, but the colour in the eye and the shape of the vulvar scale, with a deep U-shaped indentation, allows them to be identified with certainty.
Often confused with Crocothemis erythraea because the bluish underside of the eye, yellow hind wing base, red colouration and active behaviour. That species is much broader-bodied and has no black on the face or legs.
Sympetrum sinaiticum has bluish underside of the eyes, but is duller overall, typically with a black bar on each side of S2-S3.
Size
Habitat
Sympetrum fonscolombii reproduces mostly at sunny, shallow standing waters and more rarely at slow-flowing stretches of rivers. In the Mediterranean it is especially abundant in coastal brackish wetlands and lagoons, rice fields and man-made barrage lakes. Successful breeding can also occur at bare, warm and shallow flooded quarries, sand pits, dune ponds, newly created ponds, depressions in bogs or recently flooded meadows. Newly created waters are readily colonised and are, especially in the north, an important habitat where the species can reach high numbers within a few years. Population size often drops when the vegetation becomes lusher. Sympetrum fonscolombii is mainly a lowland species but vagrants have been regularly encountered at high in the mountains, although reproduction at high altitudes outside the Mediterranean is rare.
Distribution
Sympetrum fonscolombii is widespread and common in most of Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Peninsula and Central Asia. It is a habitual wanderer and has colonised the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores. In eastern mainland Asia, records are known from several widely scattered localities although its status in these regions is unclear as breeding details are lacking. There are numerous records from Japan, all regarded as vagrants from mainland Asia.
In Europe it is one of the most common and abundant species in the Mediterranean. Its abundance decreases to the north although it is far from being rare in most of western and central Europe. In the northern part of its range the species shows strongly yearly fluctuations, being especially common in years where spring immigration from the south is followed by a warm summer enabling local breeding.
Flight Period
June to October. In some Mediterranean areas, the adults can be seen throughout the year, though rarely in December, January or February.
Behavior
A strong migrant, erratic influxes are often seen in northern Europe in early summer, when other Sympetrum are only beginning to emerge. A swift red dragonfly seen there in May or June is therefore likely to be of this species.
Males are very territorial and spend more time patrolling over water than perching. If it does perch it does so out in the water from a suitable vantage point. It is a strong flyer and can fly far out over water but occasionally stops and hovers. Other males are chased away, even other species. It can be hard to come near when patrolling further out over the water.
Tenerals are found where other dragonflies hunt. Migrants can be found just about everywhere, but most often near coastlines and even directly on the beach.
Larval development is quick and even in the northern parts of its range it can emerge the same summer, should the summer be good enough. Exuviae are found on straws near the shoreline or directly on the ground a bit away from the water.
Conservation Status
Similar Species
Sympetrum flaveolum, Crocothemis erythraea, Sympetrum sinaiticum
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.