Sympetrum Explained

Sympetrum is a genus of small to medium-sized skimmer dragonflies, known as darters in the UK and as meadowhawks in North America. The more than 50 species predominantly live in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere; 15 species are native to North America. No Sympetrum species is native to Australia.

Most North American darters fly in late summer and autumn, breeding in ponds and foraging over meadows. Commonly, they are yellow-gold as juveniles, with mature males and some females becoming bright red on part or all of their bodies. An exception to this color scheme is the black darter (Sympetrum danae).^[1]

The genus includes the following species:

• Sympetrum ambiguum – blue-faced meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum anomalum
• Sympetrum arenicolor
• Sympetrum baccha
• Sympetrum chaconi
• Sympetrum commixtum
• Sympetrum cordulegaster
• Sympetrum corruptum – variegated meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum costiferum – saffron-winged meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum croceolum
• Sympetrum daliensis
• Sympetrum danae – black darter,^[3] black meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum darwinianum
• Sympetrum depressiusculum – spotted darter
• Sympetrum dilatatum – St. Helena darter^[4]
• Sympetrum durum
• Sympetrum eroticum
• Sympetrum evanescens
• Sympetrum flaveolum – yellow-winged darter^[3]
• Sympetrum fonscolombii – red-veined darter,^[3] nomad^[5]
• Sympetrum frequens ^[6]
• Sympetrum gilvum
• Sympetrum gracile
• Sympetrum haematoneura
• Sympetrum haritonovi – dwarf darter^[7]
• Sympetrum himalayanum
• Sympetrum hypomelas
• Sympetrum illotum – cardinal meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum imitans
• Sympetrum infuscatum
• Sympetrum internum – cherry-faced meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum kunckeli
• Sympetrum maculatum
• Sympetrum madidum – red-veined meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum meridionale – southern darter
• Sympetrum nigrifemur – island darter^[8]
• Sympetrum nigrocreatum – Talamanca meadowhawk^[9]
• Sympetrum nomurai
• Sympetrum obtrusum – white-faced meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum orientale
• Sympetrum pallipes – striped meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum paramo
• Sympetrum parvulum
• Sympetrum pedemontanum – banded darter^[3]
• Sympetrum risi
• Sympetrum roraimae
• Sympetrum rubicundulum – ruby meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum ruptum
• Sympetrum sanguineum – ruddy darter^[3]
• Sympetrum semicinctum – band-winged meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum signiferum
• Sympetrum sinaiticum – desert darter
• Sympetrum speciosum
• Sympetrum striolatum – common darter^[3]
• Sympetrum tibiale
• Sympetrum uniforme
• Sympetrum verum
• Sympetrum vicinum – yellow-legged meadowhawk,^[10] autumn meadowhawk^[2]
• Sympetrum villosum
• Sympetrum vulgatum – vagrant darter,^[3] moustached darter^[11]
• Sympetrum xiaoi

Notes and References

1. Book: Needham, James G. . Minter J. Westfall Jr. . Michael L. May . Dragonflies of North America . rev. . Scientific Publishers . 2000 . Gainesville, FL . 0-945417-94-2 . 795 .
2. Web site: North American Odonata. University of Puget Sound. 5 August 2010. 2009.
3. Web site: Checklist of UK Species. British Dragonfly Society. 5 August 2010.
4. Suhling, F. . Martens, A. . amp . Sympetrum dilatatum . 2011 . e.T21226A9259879 . 2011 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T21226A9259879.en.
5. Book: Samways, Michael J.. Dragonflies and damselflies of South Africa. 2008. Pensoft. Sofia. 978-9546423306. 1st.
6. http://lifeinkochi.net/2010/07/autumn-darter/ Autumn Darter
7. Clausnitzer, V. . Sympetrum haritonovi . 2009 . e.T158697A5261939 . 2009 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T158697A5261939.en.
8. Clausnitzer, V. . Kalkman, V.J. . 2020 . Sympetrum nigrifemur . 2020 . e.T60292A140601430 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T60292A140601430.en.
9. Paulson, D. R. . Sympetrum nigrocreatum . 2009 . e.T164924A5939416 . 2009 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T164924A5939416.en.
10. Book: Dunkle, S. W.. Dragonflies through Binoculars. 2000. OUP.
11. Web site: Checklist, English common names. DragonflyPix.com. 5 August 2010. dead. https://archive.today/20121204160258/http://www.dragonflypix.com/checklist.html. 4 December 2012.