Foot-tipped Darter (Sympetrum eroticum)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Sympetrum (?) eroticum ("erotic")

Adult male Foot-tipped Darter (subspecies S. e. eroticum) at Kyoto Imperial Palace Gardens, Kyoto, Japan - June 2013

Featured Subspecies: Sympetrum eroticum eroticum
Length: 30-42mm  /  Wingspan: 70mm
UK Status: Not Present / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While watching birds at a small water fountain in Kyoto's Imperial Palace Garden, a small number of these dragonflies were patrolling the area, occasionally landing on the plants long enough to get a proper look at them.  This species took a fair bit of identifying - though it does have an English name (though to what "foot-topped" refers, I don't know) but it ultimately involved going through a list of Japanese dragonflies until I narrowed it down to the right one.  This species seems fairly variable in colour, ranging from bright yellow to bright red and anything in between, as with this individual.

Related Species:
Order: Odonata
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Sympetrum
SUBSPECIES: S. e. ardens, S. e. eroticum

- Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - マユタ テア カネ  /  Mayutateakane

Locally common resident

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Seen in Kyoto.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Sympetrum (?) striolatum ("striated")

Adult Common Darter (subspecies S. s. striolatum) at Geddington, Northants - August 2009

Featured Subspecies: Sympetrum striolatum striolatum
Length: 38-43mm  /  Wingspan: 57mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Common darters are one of the more numerous dragonflies in Europe. They show a large amount of dimorphism between the sexes - the above picture is a female while males are bright red.  Another species that has a broad range throughout Europe, the Common Darter is on the wing from June to December in Northern Europe.

Related Species:
Order: Odonata 
Family: Libellulidae 
Genus: Sympetrum 
SUBSPECIES: S. s. doshidordzii, S. s. imitoides, S. s. kurile, S. s. pallidum, S. s. striolatum

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington and various other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Sympetrum (?) sanguineum ("bloody")

Adult male Ruddy Darter (Symperum sangiuneum) at Winterton-on-Sea, Norfolk - July 2023

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 3.4-3.6cm  /  Wingspan: 6cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A widespread but local species of dragonfly, the Ruddy Darter iss similar in appearance to the Common Darter, but possesses all black legs and and a more "waisted" abdomen. It's range in the UK is currently expanding Northward, likely due to climate change.  

Related Species:
Order: Odonata
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Sympetrum
SUBSPECIES: ?

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common residet of much of England
 - Seen at various sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.