Sympetrum flaveolum (Yellow-winged Darter)
A delightful unexpected find while looking for Coenagrion lunulatum [failed] in the Auvergne, France, 2018. Slightly unfortunately, though we added this new species to our catalog, they were only just emerging so all the males we saw were immature, not yet having developed their orange-red abdomens. I’ll try to imagine it – it should look very attractive beside a large, yellow wing patch.
This is one of those species that likes shallow, swampy, vegetated habitat that is seasonal and may dry out in summer.
Id Notes
- large yellow hind-wing patches (though on a few females they’re much smaller, apparently)
- noticeable “moustache” between frons and eye
- ventral part of abdomen black
- yellow pterostigmas
- ♂ – orange-red abdomen when mature, yellow when immature
- ♀ – uninterrupted black stripe along side of abdomen
| female |
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