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Species account
Ruddy Darter
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Müller (1764)
Skimmers (Libellulidae) RUDA 24831
Skimmers (Libellulidae) RUDA 24831
Blodrød Hedelibel (dk)
Libélula Sanguínea (es)
Blodröd Ängstrollslända (se)
Measurements:
To 34-39mm Ab 20-24mm Hw 23-31mm
Flight period:
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EU | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Identification:
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.
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.
Comment:
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406
(1 photos)
2020-07-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark The most common dragonfly at this locality. The black T-shape just behind the eyes is characteristic of the species plus the all black legs. |
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452
(1 photos)
2020-07-13 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Probably female. |
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454
(2 photos)
2020-07-13 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Likely immature male with narrow waste and weak red coloration. |
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438
(1 photos)
2020-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male |
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439
(1 photos)
2020-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male The T-shape and the pale brownish wing marks very obvious here. |
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441
(1 photos)
2020-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male |
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436
(1 photos)
2020-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Some individuals show a hint of yellow at the wing based, mostly the hind wing. |
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435
(1 photos)
2020-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Black T-shape on thorax, club shaped abdomen, black legs. Así. |
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532
(1 photos)
2021-07-07 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Becoming red. Black legs, some moustache and Thorax-T. |
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1903
(3 photos)
2022-06-30 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago Male |
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1904
(2 photos)
2022-06-30 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Young. |
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1941
(1 photos)
2022-07-14 Bøtø-skoven, Denmark Imago Male Young. |
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1008
(1 photos)
2022-07-29 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male A young male with tightly positioned appendages and visible genitalia on the underside of S2. |
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1110
(1 photos)
2022-09-01 Jægersborg Dyrehave, Denmark Imago Male Typical male from above. |
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1542
(2 photos)
2023-06-15 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Young. Sydmølletværvej. 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. |
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1601
(1 photos)
2023-06-20 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Enghøj. The darter season has started early as expected after the long hot period we've had recently. |
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2115
(1 photos)
2023-08-03 Grene Sande/Gyttegårds Plantage, Denmark Imago Male |
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2196
(1 photos)
2023-08-13 Halvmånesøen (Tranegilde-Ishøj), Denmark Imago Male Hands on |
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2354
(1 photos)
2023-09-15 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Dæmningen, Landskabelige Kanal. |
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413
(2 photos)
2020-07-12 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female The all black legs and the black T-shape on the front of the breast indicate this species. |
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455
(2 photos)
2020-07-13 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female |
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453
(4 photos)
2020-07-14 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female |
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451
(2 photos)
2020-07-14 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female I think it's the same individual in both photos, appearing differently because of the angle. |
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1905
(1 photos)
2022-06-29 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female Young. Not often you find sympetrum species hanging vertically like this. |
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1007
(2 photos)
2022-07-29 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female Many present today. |
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1108
(1 photos)
2022-09-01 Jægersborg Dyrehave, Denmark Imago Female Dark and mature individual. |
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1111
(1 photos)
2022-09-01 Jægersborg Dyrehave, Denmark Imago Female Mature female egg-laying. Was heavily distracted by the two males in the background. |
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2394
(3 photos)
2023-09-05 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female A dark mature female with restricted moustache, almost looking like a striolatum [Stor Hedelibel]. Aberrant |
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2304
(1 photos)
2023-09-11 Bastemosen (Bornholm), Denmark Imago Female 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. Rare |
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2355
(1 photos)
2023-09-15 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago Female |
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3280
(1 photos)
2025-06-21 Björkadammen (Skåne), Sweden Imago Female Young. Some 40 animals today. |
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440
(1 photos)
2020-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male & Female Mating. |
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437
(1 photos)
2020-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male & Female 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. |
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1034
(3 photos)
2022-07-31 Røsnæs-halvøen, Denmark Imago Male & Female Males actively swinging the female in between the vegetation while egg-dropping. |
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1077
(1 photos)
2022-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male & Female Enghøj sø. Mating wheel. Good numbers these days. |
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1109
(1 photos)
2022-09-01 Jægersborg Dyrehave, Denmark Imago Male & Female Mating wheel. |
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2168
(4 photos)
2023-08-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male & Female Granathøj. |
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2295
(1 photos)
2023-09-01 Travbaneparken, Denmark Imago Male & Female Plejehjemsdammen. Tandem with a rather red female. |