Bug FAQCommon Darter
Sympetrum striolatum · Order: Odonata · Family: Libellulidae
Also called: Highland Darter, Black-Legged Sympetrum, Common Sympetrum, Common/ Highland Darter Dragonfly
The common darter is a small dragonfly found across many watery habitats in Eurasia and can be seen all year in the south and from June to November in the north. Females and newly-emerged adults have a light yellow thorax and abdomen, and their legs show a cream or yellow stripe on black, which helps tell them apart. They hunt by waiting on a perch and swooping after passing insects, and they lay eggs by the male swinging the female over water so the eggs drop into it.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Females and newly-emerged individuals have a light yellow thorax and abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are seen around lakes, ponds, canals and slow-flowing rivers.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They are ambush predators that capture insects that pass their perch.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Males hold females in tandem and swing them over water to release eggs. At the far end of the swing the female drops eggs onto the water surface.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing year-round in southern Europe, but only from June to November further north.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to Eurasia and belongs to the Libellulidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Many Sympetrum species look similar, and more than one may occur in the same area.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell a common darter apart from other dragonflies?
Look for a light yellow thorax and abdomen in females or fresh adults, and a cream or yellow stripe on the black legs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are common darters usually found?
They frequent lakes, ponds, canals and slow-moving rivers across Eurasia.
Source: Wikipedia
When are they active during the year?
In southern Europe they can be seen all year, while in northern areas they appear from June through November.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Libellulidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_darter
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.