Common Darter

Sympetrum striolatum

The Common Darter is a friendly little dragonfly that flits around ponds and streams. They have bright yellow and black markings that make them easy to spot!

Habitat: Wetlands, ponds, and streams

Appearance

The Common Darter is a small, broad-bodied dragonfly, typically fiery red-orange in males and yellowish-brown in females. It has clear wings with a distinct small yellow-orange patch near the tip and dark markings along its legs. These colours make it stand out against green vegetation.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyLibellulidaeGenusSympetrum

Common Darter

Interesting facts

Male darters often perform a special “mating wheel” in the air with a female.

Sometimes, they migrate long distances across countries in large groups.

Their babies live underwater for up to two years before becoming flying adults!

They shed their entire skin multiple times as they grow from a nymph to an adult.

Special abilities

Common Darter can fly forwards, backwards, and hover perfectly because of its four independently-moving wings.

Common Darter has huge compound eyes that help them spot tiny insect prey from far away.

Common Darter can dart from a perch to snatch unsuspecting insects right out of the air.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 50-70 mm
Size: 35-45 mm
Lifespan: 30-60 days
Flight Speed: 20 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

This swift insect hunter loves to feast on other smaller flying insects near water.

Age differences: Larvae (nymphs) are also predatory, hunting aquatic invertebrates like water fleas and small insect larvae.

Primary Foods

Mosquitoes
Midges
Flies
Gnats
Small butterflies

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

eaten by

Blackbird

Turdus merula

Blackbirds prey on adult darters for food.

eaten by

Common Frog

Rana temporaria

Frogs feast on both adult darters and their aquatic nymphs.

hunts

Common House Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Adult darters are expert hunters of flying mosquitoes.

hunts

Water Flea

Daphnia pulex

Young darter nymphs hunt tiny water fleas in ponds.

Traits

Wildlife

Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.

Aerial

Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.