Monsuntrollslända (Pantala flavescens)
• English name: Wandering Glider
• German name: Wanderlibelle
• French name: Libellule Globe-trotter
• Dutch name: Wereldzwerver
• Swedish name: Monsuntrollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: Frecciaerrante
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: N/A
• Bulgarian name: Странстващо потапниче
Monsuntrollslända (Pantala flavescens)
Not present
Present before 1990
Present after 1990
Present before and after 1990
Present after 2015
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | • a fairly large species which very rarely occurs in Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Not Evaluated | |
| Scientific name | • Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • shallow, temporary puddles and pools | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 45-55 mm; hindwing: 38-42 mm | |
| Notes | • gathers in huge migratory swarms, e.g. along the eastern seaboards of America and Australia, and between India and East-Africa | |
| • on their migratory trek they follow the seasonal rains, using e.g. temporary rain pools to complete the egg-to-adult cycle at an incredible speed; whereas a species of a similar size would normally take two years to complete that cycle, Pantala flavescens manages to do so in about 35 days | ||
| • spends a great deal of time gliding on the wing | ||
| • when resting, hangs rather than sits | ||
| Both sexes | Thorax | • the thorax is orange-yellow with thin black lines on the side |
| Abdomen | ➤ the abdomen is orange-yellow with extensive mid-dorsal black spots | |
| Wings | ➤ the wings are very long and broad | |
| • the wing tip may bear a small yellow patch | ||
| Photographs | • all of our photos below were made in Florida in 2013 |
LineDrawing: the male's abdomen in dorsal view.
