Species account

Common Winter Damsel (Sympecma fusca)    (Vander Linden, 1820)
   Spreadwings (Lestidae) [Dragonflies]    CWDA    24780
Vintervandnymfe (dk)   Caballito de Invierno (es)   Vinterflickslända (se)  
Synonyms (common):
Winter Damsel (gb) Caballito Pardo (es)
Synonyms (scientific):
Agrion phallatum Charpentier, 1825
Sympecma aragonensis Navás, 1927
Measurements:
To 34-39mm Ab 25-30mm Hw 18-23mm
Generations:
Flight period:
JFMAMJJASOND 
SE
EU
Identification:
Similar species:
Life stages:
Overwintering imagines reproduce in April and May, and the female, in tandem, drops eggs into floating plant material. The eggs hatch rapidly and the larvae develop in a few months (same season). Soon after transition the animals seek out their winter hides.
Distribution:
Most of Europe, NW Africa and patchily eastward through the Middle East to Kazakhstan, included; on the British Isles local in Wales; on the Scandinavian peninsula only Southern third of Sweden. In Denmark present only on Bornholm.
Habitat:
Behavior:
Endemic:
Status (?):NE: Not evaluated
NA: Not applicable
DD: Data deficient
LC: Least concern
NT: Near threatened
VU: Vulnerable
EN: Endangered
CR: Critically endangered
EW: Extinct in the wild
EX: Extinct
RE: Regionally extinct
LC(global) LC(eu) LC(EU) NA(dk). Newcomer in Denmark being present in Bastemosen on Bornholm, only since 2020. Spreading slowly to nearby waterholes. Fairly common SE Sweden and spreading slowly here too. Rarer on the west coast. Present in Scania just across the strait from Copenhagen, why it is probably a question of time before the species will be found in the main part of Denmark. Perhaps also showing up via N Germany.
Comment:
Common Winter Damsel 1298    (6 photos)
2023-04-09    Venestad (Skåne), Sweden

Imago Male
Two males and a lifer!
Absolutely not expected, though I knew, that the first have started to fly in Scania. But we were looking for butterflies. Elin found them just after we got out of the car.

They were warming up on the stones in the sun, something that they apparently like to do, as photos on artportalen.se reveal.

The first animal soon disappeared and I only got these two photos. The other one was more accommodating, though still tricky to get decent photos lying halfway down on top of the neighboring stones.

There were mixed forest on one side of the trail and a more swampy area on the left side, though probably not permanently wet, but rather caused by the large amounts of rain we've had in winter; it looked like it would dry out as the season advances.

Animal 1: photo 1-2
Animal 2: photos 3-5.



Common Winter Damsel 1366    (3 photos)
2023-05-07    Bastemosen (Bornholm), Denmark

Imago Female
This animal was sexed as a male by the other observers this day, but I can't see why, as it is clearly showing the typical female appendages and the ovipositor in photo 1.



Common Winter Damsel 1367    (1 photos)
2023-05-07    Bastemosen (Bornholm), Denmark

Imago Female
Warming up in the sun, though still sitting in the wind line, that was coming all the way from Russia. Again little man, come to your senses.



Common Winter Damsel 1368    (5 photos)
2023-05-07    Bastemosen (Bornholm), Denmark

Imago Female
On Dynd-Padderok (Equisetum fluviatile) [Water Horsetail ~ Equiseto Mayor ~ Sjöfräken]

Breeding behavior has still not been observed in the Danish population (discovered 5 years ago), why this is the first act of egg-laying intentions witnessed. But it didn't go through with it. Maybe disturbed by us, 4 semi-old men, crawling around on the bank 4 meters away.



Common Winter Damsel 1369    (1 photos)
2023-05-07    Bastemosen (Bornholm), Denmark

Imago Female
My first animal in Denmark.