Species account

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) (Selys, 1840)
Skimmers (Libellulidae) [Dragonflies] RVDA 24832

Rødåret Hedelibel (dk) Libélula de Fonscolombe (es) Vandrande Ängstrollslända (se)

Synonyms (common):

Nomad (gb)

Synonyms (scientific):

Libellula erythroneura Schneider, 1845
Sympetrum rhaeticum Buchecker, 1876
Sympetrum azorensis Gardner, 1959

Measurements:

To 33-40mm Ab 22-29mm Hw 26-31mm

Generations:

1-2 generations.

Flight period:

Identification:

Similar species:

Life stages:

After the mating the female, in tandem, drops the eggs over low water or the dried out parts next to the waters edge. Normally the eggs overwinter and hatch the following spring, but it is suspected that eggs laid early in the season can hatch the same year and due to the short development period of the larvae, 2-3 months, these can transform in the same season. The larvae live in-between the water plants or at the bottom. The imago-transformation takes place on vegetation in or near the water, or directly on the ground.

Distribution:

Most of Europe; absent northern Ireland and Scotland, most of Fennoscandinavia, Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine. Also present most of African continent and Madagascar and from Turkey through the Arab states to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Also resident on the Azores and the Canaries. In Denmark mostly seen in invasion years and mostly in the eastern part of the country, mainly Sjælland, but the species has been found in all regions.

Habitat:

Behavior:

In Denmark most often found at coast-near localities.

Endemic:

Status

LC(global) LC(eu) LC(EU) NA(dk). First discovered in Denmark in 2003 and mainly in invasion years, like 2019, where numbers still only reached around a hundred or so individuals. Other years, like 2023, zero are found, while 2024 and 2025 showed good numbers (confirmed breeding on Amager both years). The pattern is similar in the rest of the north European region. The species is resident in the Mediterranean region. Amager

Comment:

	1869 (6 photos) 2022-06-27 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Enghøj sø.
	1870 (3 photos) 2022-06-27 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Enghøj sø. Number three.
	780 (8 photos) 2022-06-27 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Enghøj sø. Finally got it. Three of them. All males. If they migrate from the south, the hot weather the last days certainly made the chances to find it bigger.
	1871 (2 photos) 2022-06-29 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Enghøj sø. One still present.
	2701 (4 photos) 2024-05-15 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Clearing at snogevej x pinseskovvej. A first in Denmark this year. A few also on Öland and Malmö, Sweden the last days. The strong continuing wind from southeast for many days now most likely is the catalyst leading to this pleasant and early encounter. In well-visited years they normally peak in the last half of June. I found it in a wind-protected and sun-filled clearing, but only this animal despite of trying several other similar clearings.
	2806 (2 photos) 2024-05-25 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. 4 males today. Same behavior as two years ago. They show up but then disappear after a few days. No females, poor quality site, who knows...
	2807 (2 photos) 2024-05-25 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. 4 males today.
	2808 (3 photos) 2024-05-25 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. 4 males today.
	2809 (1 photos) 2024-05-25 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. 4 males today.
	2811 (3 photos) 2024-05-26 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. 2 males today. LAK. Perhaps same as the day before.
	2812 (2 photos) 2024-05-26 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. 2 males today. LAK. Perhaps same as the day before.
	2813 (1 photos) 2024-05-27 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. The last one visiting during this spring influx.
	2886 (4 photos) 2024-07-20 Gedser, Denmark Imago Male Vandhullet ved fuglestationen. A single individual seen. I was hoping for much more, here at the southern most point in Denmark on a hot and humid summer day with easterly winds giving promise of all sorts of water-crossings from the continent. But next year then, for those who can wait.
	2961 (5 photos) 2024-08-17 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Map Imago Male Engsø. Young. I would guess, this is a local individual developed from egg in this same season, as a result of the visitors we had in May at the same spot. Otherwise it could have been a late bloomer that overwintered as a larva, but does that sound more realistic? Not to me with the good summer we've had with good temperatures. A variable character, but comparing with photos online this individual shows a rather large amount of yellow at the base of the hindwings.
	3255 (2 photos) 2025-06-17 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. 2 different animals. Three males present on this first encounter-day of the season. Same behavior as usual here, sitting at the waters edge, or patrolling their territory.
	3274 (1 photos) 2025-06-21 Björkadammen (Skåne), Sweden Imago Male One of 8 males here today.
	3275 (1 photos) 2025-06-21 Björkadammen (Skåne), Sweden Imago Male One of 8 males here today.
	3378 (6 photos) 2025-09-09 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. Teneral. One of two males today. Normally I would have used my tele lens to get these tenerals of today, but it's broken, why I have to rely on my wide-angle lens, and therefore prefer to catch the animals to get a decent result. Captured
	3380 (6 photos) 2025-09-09 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. Teneral. Second male today. At first I thought it was me who had damaged this animal, but I think it already had a bad eye and a broken wing, since it went straight into the net without touching the frame. Captured
	3382 (2 photos) 2025-09-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. Young. Two males today. Not the same as two days ago. Captured
	3384 (3 photos) 2025-09-11 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. Young. Two males today. Not the same as two days ago. Captured
	3392 (4 photos) 2025-09-20 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. Young. I guess, as long as the weather doesn't turn really bad, we can expect more emergences of this beautiful species. Mobile photos. Captured
	3418 (4 photos) 2025-09-20 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Male Engsø. Young. Close-up of one of the males of today. Mobile shots. Captured
	2702 (2 photos) 2024-05-17 Amager Fælled, Denmark Imago Female Gammel Strandeng ud for Grønjordssøen, vest for nord-syd-stien. The strong eastern wind continues, and I was fortunate to find this female today in a spot where lots of Broad-bodied Chasers [Blå Libel] normally hang out. Maybe I disturbed it, or it came in accidentally, but it didn't stay for long, only trying to land two times, once before and when I got these photos. Then it flew to the top of a tree and disappeared. I waited patiently for half an hour for it to come back, hoping to get better photos of this first female of the species for me. Today two animals were also seen on Öland, but no other reports of the species in Denmark so far. The impression of the animal when it showed up, was of very beige pale dragonfly, clearly slimmer and smaller than the many chasers being present.
	3025 (6 photos) 2024-07-19 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Map Imago Female Engsø. Red form. Following the same pattern of occurrence as normally for the species at this locality - sitting in the water side vegetation, and then after a short while disappearing completely. The black punctuated double-line down the side of the abdomen, a hint of the blue eye and the colored frontal veins are luckily visible on these less than ideal photos making the id straight forward. Funny to have this female show up almost two months after the spring males were here. I have visited this spot frequently why I'm pretty sure it hasn't been here for long (and never saw it again).
	3383 (4 photos) 2025-09-04 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female Engsø. Young. Not the same as two days ago. Captured
	3379 (4 photos) 2025-09-09 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female Engsø. Teneral. Only one female found. I know the bend wing tip doesn't look good, but nothing happened, and it moved freely without any problem afterward. Captured
	3393 (1 photos) 2025-09-20 Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark Imago Female Engsø. Young. Captured

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