Yellow-Winged Darter (Sympetrum flaveolum)
• English name: Yellow-Winged Darter
• German name: Gefleckte Heidelibelle
• French name: Sympétrum jaune d'or
• Dutch name: Geelvlekheidelibel
• Swedish name: Gulfläckad ängstrollslända
• Norwegian name: Gulvinget høstlibelle
• Finnish name: Elokorento
• Danish name: Gulvinget hedelibel
• Italian name: Cardinale dorato
• Czech name: vážka žlutavá
• Slovenian name: Rumeni kamenjak
• Bulgarian name: Жълтокрило червениче
Yellow-Winged Darter
(Sympetrum flaveolum)
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 small species of central and especially eastern Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Sympetrum flaveolum (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
| Name genus | • Sympetrum: from Grk. συμπιέζω = to squeeze together +; ἦτρον = abdomen ⇒ Newman described Sympetrum species as having the 'abdomen laterally compressed' (as distinct from Orthetrum species, which have the 'abdomen laterally parallel') | |
| Name species | • flaveolum: from Lat. flaveolus, -a, -um = somewhat golden yellow; [flavus = golden yellow] ⇒ for the large yellow wing patches | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • shallow ponds and lakes | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 32-37 mm; hindwing: 23-32 mm | |
| 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 | ||
| Both sexes | Wings | ➤ the forewing and especially the hindwing bear a large orange patch at the base |
| Legs | • the legs are black with a yellow stripe on the tibia and femur | |
| Male | Thorax | • the thorax is brown with black lines on the side |
| Abdomen | • the top of the abdomen is orange-red (yellow-brown in immature males) with some black markings on S8 and S9; the underside of the abdomen is black | |
| • the abdomen is not club-shaped | ||
| Wings | • the pterostigma is orange-red | |
| Female | Thorax | • the thorax is yellow-brown with black lines on the side |
| Abdomen | • the top of the abdomen is yellow-brown with some black markings on S8 and S9; the side of the abdomen bears two rows of black markings | |
| Wings | • the pterostigma is orange-brown | |
| Photographs | • all of our photos below were made in Finland and the Netherlands |
