Red-veined Darter

Sympetrum fonscolombii (Selys, 1840)

DESCRIPTION

The ticker veins on the wings are reddish in males and yellowish in females. The hindwings have a yellow basal patch more extended than in S. sanguineum and the pterostigma is yellowish with a thick black border. The underside of the eyes is gray-pale blue and the legs are black with a yellow longitudinal line.

PHENOLOGY

It can have two generations per year and thus it can be observed from the end of May to November.

HABITAT

The larvae grow in still, often shallow and poor in vegetation waters, as ponds (even recent ones), flooded quarries. This species can be found until about 1300 meters above sea level.

DISTRIBUTION

Widespread in central and southern Europe and in large parts of Asia and Africa. It becomes rarer northwards, where it can be observed often in migration. In the Cuneo region this is the most widespread Sympetrum from the plain to the mountains. In late summer/autumn one can observe migrations with thousands of individuals passing through the main alpine valleys (Breton, 2008 – See literature).