Common Darter
Sympetrum striolatum
On hot days, they perform the 'obelisk posture'—pointing their abdomen straight up toward the sun to minimize the surface area exposed to heat.
- Scientific name
- Sympetrum striolatum
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Odonata › Libellulidae › Sympetrum
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Still water bodies including ponds, lakes, marshes, canals, and slow-flowing ditches, often wandering into gardens.
- Diet
- Carnivorous; feeds on small flying insects like mosquitoes, midges, and flies. Larvae eat aquatic invertebrates.
- Range
- Europe, North Africa, Western Asia
- Size
- Wingspan of 50-60 mm; body length of 35-44 mm
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 months as an adult; up to 1 year as an aquatic nymph
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Loss of wetland habitats, water pollution, and chemical runoff from agriculture.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can safely observe this dragonfly from a close distance as it suns itself on rocks or vegetation. Avoid capturing or handling to prevent damaging its delicate wings. They pose no threat to humans and help control mosquito populations.
The common darter ( Sympetrum striolatum ) 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.
Photo: Frank Sengpiel, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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