Southern darter
Female Southern darters often carry bright red, spherical mite larvae attached to their wings, a parasite that hitches a ride without slowing the dragonfly down.
| Where | Shallow, well-vegetated ponds and pools |
|---|---|
| Size | 52 to 60 mm wingspan |
| When | June to October |
The Southern darter is a slender dragonfly with a wingspan of 52 to 60 mm. Males have an orange-red abdomen without the dark spots seen in many related darters, and the sides of the thorax are a fairly uniform brown with narrow black lines along the sutures.
Adults fly from late spring into mid autumn around shallow, well-vegetated still water where the larvae develop over one or two years. They often perch flat on bare ground or low plants, warming themselves in open sunny spots.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Orange, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; does not sting or bite.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar in size with a wingspan of 48 to 60 mm, but legs are black with yellow stripes rather than mostly yellow, and males often show dark marks on the last abdominal segments that the Southern darter lacks.
Questions
Is the Southern darter dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; does not sting or bite.
When can you see the Southern darter?
The Southern darter can be seen from June to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Natural History Museum, CC0, GBIF Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Sympetrum
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.