Northern Banded Groundling (Brachythemis impartita)
• English name: Northern Banded Groundling
• German name: Treuer Kurzpfeil
• French name: Brachythémis à bandes brunes
• Dutch name: Bandgrondlibel
• Swedish name: N/A
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: Frecciamora fasciata
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: N/A
• Bulgarian name: N/A
Northern Banded Groundling
(Brachythemis impartita)
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | ➤ a very small species which in Europe occurs only in Iberia and on Cyprus, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and, more recently, on the Italian mainland | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Brachythemis impartita (Karsch, 1890) | |
| Name genus | • Brachythemis: from Grk. βραχύς = short ⇒ for the short abdomen +; Θέμις or θέμις = (Greek Titaness of) divine order, law as established by custom | |
| Name species | • impartita: from Lat. im- = un- +; partitus, -a, -um = divided ⇒ "referring originally to the condition of the Fw triangles and subtriangles". For an illustration tap or click here. | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • lakes and ponds but also slow-flowing rivers | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 25-34 mm; hindwing: 20-26 mm | |
| Notes | • libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females | |
| • immature males are coloured like females | ||
| Both sexes | Wings | ➤ the wing bears a very large dark band between the node and the pterostigma; note that this band may be inconspicuous or even absent in females and immature animals |
| ➤ the pterostigma is creamy white, with a darker corner on the outside (cf. Diplacodes lefebvrii) | ||
| Male | Thorax | • the thorax is black |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is all black except for the beige-brown appendages | |
| Female | Thorax | • the thorax is beige-brown with thin black lines on the side |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is beige-brown with extensive black markings; S8-S9 are mostly black | |
| Photographs | • our photos below were made in Andalusia, Extremadura and on Sardinia |
LineDrawing: the male's abdomen and the female's abdomen in dorsal view.
Brachythemis impartita; forewing
Note: in this species the triangle (A) always lacks crossveins, and the subtriangle (B) usually does too. Note also the three cells (C) immediately next to the triangle.
Northern Banded Groundling (Brachythemis impartita)
Male abdomen in dorsal view
Drawing by Ruth Ilka Nüß
© 2020 Lehmann & Nüß and DragonflyPix.com
Northern Banded Groundling (Brachythemis impartita)
Female abdomen in dorsal view
Drawing by Ruth Ilka Nüß
© 2020 Lehmann & Nüß and DragonflyPix.com
