Sympetrum depressiusculum
• English name: Spotted Darter
• German name: Sumpf-Heidelibelle
• French name: Sympétrum déprimé
• Dutch name: Kempense heidelibel
• Swedish name: Svartfläckad ängstrollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: Cardinale padano
• Czech name: vážka rumělková
• Slovenian name: Stasiti kamenjak
• Bulgarian name: Петнисто червениче
Sympetrum depressiusculum
Not present
Present before 1990
Present after 1990
Present before and after 1990
Present after 2015
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | • a small species with scattered populations in central Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Vulnerable | |
| Scientific name | • Sympetrum depressiusculum (Selys, 1841) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • shallow lakes, rice fields, etc. | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 29-34 mm; hindwing: 24-28 mm | |
| Notes | • libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females | |
| • all European Sympetrum species oviposit in tandem | ||
| Both sexes | Abdomen | ➤ the abdomen bears two rows of triangular black spots laterally on S4-S9, with further black spots dorsally on S8-S9 |
| • the (upper) appendages are light-coloured | ||
| Wings | • the hindwing bears a small orange patch at the base | |
| Legs | ➤ the legs are all black | |
| Male | Thorax | • the thorax is brown-red (brown-yellow in immature males) with black lines on the side |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is red (brown-yellow in immature males) and club-shaped | |
| Female | Thorax | • the thorax is brown-yellow with black lines on the side |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is brown-yellow | |
| Photographs | • most of our photos below were made in the Netherlands in 2019 |
