Appearance:
The colors (yellow-green or deep red), the all black legs and the T-shape on top of the thorax separate it from the other darters in Denmark. Is also smaller. Often looks darkish when just seen flying around.
Similar species:
Life stages:
The mating wheel is established in flight but the mating takes place in the shoreside vegetation and lasts only a few minutes. The female drops the eggs from tandem over low water or the drier parts next to the shore. The eggs (yellow-white) are much larger than the eggs of other species in Denmark. They overwinter and hatch the following spring. The larvae develop during 2-3 months (same season). The imago-transformation takes place near the water.
Distribution:
Most of Europe; absent Scotland, most of Norway, northern half of Fennoscandinavia and patchily Iberian peninsula. Also present NW Africa and east through Turkey, the Black Sea region and Near Orient through Iran to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Also patchily Russian Federation to C Asia. In Denmark widespread and seen in all regions.
Habitat:
Behavior:
Status:
LC(global) LC(eu) LC(dk). Common in all parts of Denmark. Expanding north in both Sweden and Finland.
♂ and ♀
Male and female connected. He grabs on to her head with his appendages, and she swings the abdomen up to reach his genital area at the lower back of the thorax.
A few have been seem already according to naturbasen.dk during the last few weeks, but this is my earliest animal in Denmark of the species ever, or darter in general.
Imago ♀
Grabbed by a male vulgatum [Almindelig Hedelibel]. This is known to happen, and perhaps not so unusual in spots where there is a lack of females of own species, as might be the case with vulgatum here at Bastemosen. The vast majority of darters here are Ruddy Darters.