Sympetrum meridionale
• English name: Southern Darter
• German name: Südliche Heidelibelle
• French name: Sympétrum méridional
• Dutch name: Zuidelijke heidelibel
• Swedish name: Ljusröd ängstrollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: Sydlig hedelibel
• Italian name: Cardinale meridionale
• Czech name: vážka jižní
• Slovenian name: Sredozemski kamenjak
• Bulgarian name: Бледо червениче
Sympetrum meridionale
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | • a small species of central and especially southern Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Sympetrum meridionale (Selys, 1841) | |
| Name genus | • Sympetrum: from Grk. συμπιέζω = to squeeze together +; ἦτρον = abdomen ⇒ Newman described Sympetrum species as having the 'abdomen laterally compressed' (as distinct from Orthetrum species, which have the 'abdomen laterally parallel') | |
| Name species | • meridionale: from Lat. meridionalis, -is, -e = southern ⇒ in reference to the species' southern European range | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • shallow ponds and lakes | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 35-40 mm; hindwing: 25-30 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 | ||
| • this species is often affected by red mites in the wings | ||
| Both sexes | Wings | • the pterostigma is comparatively large |
| Legs | ➤ the legs are yellow with a black stripe on the tibia and femur | |
| Male | Thorax | • the thorax is brown-red (yellow in immature males) with, on the side, very thin black lines |
| Abdomen | ➤ the abdomen is red (yellow in immature males) with hardly any black spots | |
| • the abdomen is not club-shaped | ||
| Female | Thorax | • the thorax is yellow with, on the side, very thin black lines |
| Abdomen | • the top of the abdomen is yellow with black spots dorsally and laterally on S8 and S9; the side of the abdomen bears a thin black line along the bottom edge | |
| Photographs | • nearly all of our photos below were made in Tuscany and the south of Italy |
LineDrawing: the male's head, thorax and abdomen, and the female's head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view.
Southern Darter (Sympetrum meridionale)
Male head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view
Drawing by Ruth Ilka Nüß
© 2013 Lehmann & Nüß and DragonflyPix.com
Southern Darter (Sympetrum meridionale)
Female head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view
Drawing by Ruth Ilka Nüß
© 2013 Lehmann & Nüß and DragonflyPix.com
