Ljusröd ängstrollslända (Sympetrum meridionale)
• English name: Southern Darter
• German name: Südliche Heidelibelle
• French name: Sympétrum méridional
• Dutch name: Zuidelijke heidelibel
• Swedish name: Ljusröd ängstrollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: Sydlig hedelibel
• Italian name: Cardinale meridionale
• Czech name: vážka jižní
• Slovenian name: Sredozemski kamenjak
• Bulgarian name: Бледо червениче
Ljusröd ängstrollslända (Sympetrum meridionale)
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | • a small species of central and especially southern Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Sympetrum meridionale (Selys, 1841) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Notes | • libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females | |
| • all European Sympetrum species oviposit in tandem | ||
| • this species is often affected by red mites in the wings | ||
| Habitat | • shallow ponds and lakes | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 35-40 mm; hindwing: 25-30 mm | |
| Both sexes | Wings | • the pterostigma is comparatively large |
| Legs | ➤ the legs are yellow with a black stripe on the tibia and femur | |
| Male | Thorax | • the thorax is brown-red (yellow in immature males) with, on the side, very thin black lines |
| Abdomen | ➤ the abdomen is red (yellow in immature males) with hardly any black spots | |
| • the abdomen is not club-shaped | ||
| Female | Thorax | • the thorax is yellow with, on the side, very thin black lines |
| Abdomen | • the top of the abdomen is yellow with black spots dorsally and laterally on S8 and S9; the side of the abdomen bears a thin black line along the bottom edge | |
| Photographs | • nearly all of our photos below were made in Tuscany and the south of Italy |
LineDrawing: the male's head, thorax and abdomen, and the female's head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view.
