Field Guide
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Ruddy Darter
Sympetrum sanguineum
Not yet photographed by the community
Vivid blood-red male; slightly smaller than Common Darter.
Species Profile
Green List; common and widespread with stable or increasing populations
- Lifespan
- 2–3 months as adults; emergence to death typically occurs within a single season
- Size & Weight
- 28–34 mm body length; wingspan 36–42 mm
- Habitat
- Shallow, nutrient-rich ponds, lakes, ditches, and wetlands with emergent vegetation, often in open or semi-open country.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; a summer visitor and resident, with populations arriving from continental Europe in late July through September.
- Diet
- Carnivorous; hunts small flying insects in flight, including midges, gnats, small flies, and other small aerial prey.
- Prey
- Small flying insects including Chironomidae (midges), small dipterans, and occasional small mayflies
- Predators
- Robber flies, larger dragonflies, birds (particularly flycatchers and warblers), and spiders
- Mating Season
- July to October
- Breeding
- Females lay eggs in batches directly into water or damp substrates; eggs hatch within 1–2 weeks; nymphs develop over winter and spring, with emergence typically May to July; single generation per year in the UK.
- Behaviour
- Males are highly territorial and patrol water margins, often perching on low vegetation or exposed branches. They exhibit strong philopatry, returning to the same water bodies yearly. Both sexes actively hunt during warm, sunny days and roost over vegetation at night.
- •The Ruddy Darter is one of the latest-emerging dragonflies in the UK, with populations peaking in autumn
- •Males display a striking blood-red colouration that intensifies with age and territorial dominance
- •It has rapidly expanded its range northwards in the UK over the past 20 years, likely due to climate change
- •Unlike many dragonflies, it tolerates relatively nutrient-poor and shallow waters
- •The species undertakes a partial migration, with late-summer arrivals from continental Europe supplementing resident populations
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