Vagrant Darter

Sympetrum vulgatum

The Vagrant Darter is a colorful dragonfly that loves to flutter around ponds and marshes. With its bright red body, it looks like a tiny superhero flying in the sky!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Vagrant Darter is a medium-sized dragonfly with a robust body. Males are typically reddish-orange with distinct black markings on their legs and thorax. Females are more yellowish-brown, and both sexes have a noticeable dark spot (pterostigma) near the tip of their clear wings.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyLibellulidaeGenusSympetrum

Vagrant Darter

Interesting facts

A darter's huge eyes have thousands of tiny lenses, like having lots of mini-eyes!

Dragonfly babies, called nymphs, live underwater for years before they fly!

Older male darters can change their body color from yellow to bright red!

Vagrant Darters can fly forwards, backwards, and even hover like a tiny helicopter!

Special abilities

Vagrant Darter can quickly change direction mid-air because of its independently controlled wings, helping them hunt and escape predators.

Vagrant Darter has huge compound eyes that see 360 degrees around, helping them spot tiny insect prey and potential threats.

Vagrant Darter can catch flying insects with its spiky front legs, creating a 'basket' to scoop up prey in flight.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 60-75 mm
Size: 35-45 mm
Lifespan: 30-90 days
Flight Speed: 20 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

These speedy hunters zoom through the air to catch tiny flying insects with amazing skill!

Age differences: Nymphs eat small aquatic invertebrates like mosquito larvae underwater.

Primary Foods

mosquitoes
midges
flies
gnats

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Adult darters catch them in flight.

eaten by

European Perch

Perca fluviatilis

Fish prey on darter nymphs underwater.

eaten by

Common Blackbird

Turdus merula

Birds may snatch adult darters.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

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.