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Common Darter
Sympetrum striolatum
7 photos
·1 photographer
·Uncommon · 10 ptsMost common late-season dragonfly; males vivid red.
7 community photos of Common Darter on Things With Wings. Top-rated shots often use around 1/640ss shutter, 300mm.
Species Profile
Green List; common and widespread with stable populations
- Lifespan
- 3–4 months as adults; full lifecycle from egg to adult approximately 2 months depending on water temperature
- Size & Weight
- 28–29 mm body length; wingspan 36–42 mm
- Habitat
- Shallow, nutrient-rich ponds, ditches, marshes, and slow-moving water bodies with emergent vegetation.
- UK Distribution
- Widespread throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; absent from northern Scotland. Resident species with populations boosted by continental immigrants in late summer.
- Diet
- Aerial insectivore, feeding on small flying insects including midges, gnats, small flies, and mosquitoes.
- Prey
- Small flying insects such as Diptera (flies and midges), small mayflies, and small moths
- Predators
- Robber flies, larger dragonflies, birds including reed warblers and hobbies, and spiders
- Mating Season
- July to October
- Breeding
- Females lay eggs in tandem with males, depositing 300–600 eggs directly into water or mud. Nymphs develop through multiple instars over 6–8 weeks in warm conditions; one generation per year in the UK, occasionally overlapping broods.
Sources and editorial status
The short identification summary comes from the Things With Wings species catalogue. The extended species profile is AI-assisted and has not been individually reviewed by a wildlife expert, so verify important identification or conservation details with the specialist sources below.
Profile generated 22 June 2026
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Camera Settings (top photos)
Shutter
1/640ss
ISO Range
800–3200
Aperture
f/f/22
Focal Length
300mm
