Banded darter (dragonfly)

Banded darter
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Infraorder:	Anisoptera
Family:	Libellulidae
Genus:	Sympetrum
Species:	S. pedemontanum
Binomial name
Sympetrum pedemontanum (Mueller in Allioni, 1776)

The banded darter (Sympetrum pedemontanum) is a European species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.

Description[]

Males of the banded darter, like most members of the genus, have a red abdomen. The species' primary distinguishing feature however is the presence, in both sexes, of broad black bands across the outer section of each wing. It is similar in size to the black darter (Sympetrum danae) (35-40mm), sharing the broad hindwings and black legs.

Behaviour[]

The weak, low, fluttering flight is not unlike that of a black darter, but it perches frequently on the tips of rush stems rather than on the ground. It is a surprisingly inconspicuous species.

Status[]

Young female

This species is resident in continental Europe. Its main breeding range is south-eastern, especially at medium altitudes, although it appears to be spreading westwards.

Vagrancy to Britain[]

The banded darter has been recorded in Britain just once, in Wales, in the Sympetrum immigration year of 1995 on 16–17 August.

References[]

• "Banded Darter". British Dragonfly Society. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
• Fauna Europaea

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