This is certainly my favourite Darter. The mature males are spectacular and unmistakable, and the females are refreshingly colourful, too, for a change. We went in search of them for the first time in August 2011 in the New Forest and found quite a few. Thursley Common NNR is also a good spot to find them.
[Mature males are impossible to confuse with any other species but for the immature males and females, I have a couple of comparison charts that should help with identification.]
Id Notes
- black legs
- ♂ – black pterostigma
- mature ♂ – largely black abdomen
- dark triangle on front of thorax, dorsal side
- immature ♂, ♀ – dark thorax side-panel enclosing 3 yellow spots
| male | ||
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| female | ||
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| in tandem | in cop |
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