Dragonfly, Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum with shrp wing veination rests in the summer sunshine on leaves

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A small, very common dragonfly that can quickly colonise new ponds. The male common darter is usually dull red and the female yellow, orange or darters are good at hovering and, as their name suggests, dart forward suddenly to catch their prey which they usually then take to a favoured perch to consume. Eggs are laid in the tissues of water plants just below the surface. The larvae hunt among thick weed or detritus at the bottom of the pond, climbing out of the water on to emergent vegetation for the adult to appear a year after the eggs are laid

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Size: 5028px × 3516px
Location: Cumbria, Lake District
Photo credit: © Wild Life Ranger / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: common, darter, dragonfly, insect, odonta, striolatum, sympetrum, veination, wing