Common Darter
Sympetrum striolatum
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The dragonfly still flying in late October, returning again and again to the same warm fence post.
A small to medium dragonfly. Mature males are orange-red with a narrow abdomen; females and immatures are ochre-yellow. Common darters are among the most numerous dragonflies around Dumfries at ponds, lochs, canals and ditches, and have the longest flight season of any British dragonfly — often still on the wing well into November in a mild autumn.
Behaviour
Darters hunt from a perch rather than patrolling: they sit on a warm stone, post or path, dart out to seize a passing insect, and return to the same spot, which makes them one of the easiest dragonflies to watch and photograph. On cool autumn days they bask on sun-warmed surfaces to raise body temperature. Eggs are dropped into water in flight, the pair dipping in tandem.
When to see it
Quick facts
- Family
- Skimmers and darters (Libellulidae)
- Size
- Body 37–43 mm
- Status
- Native; abundant and widespread
Photo by Loz (L. B. Tettenborn), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons