Bug FAQSpotted Darter
Sympetrum depressiusculum · Order: Odonata · Family: Libellulidae
Also called: Marshland Darter
Adult spotted darters are 29 to 34 mm long, with the abdomen making up about 20 to 24 mm of that length. Males have a flattened orange abdomen that widens toward the tip and bears a line of drop-shaped spots on each side. They fly in late summer and breed in temporary water bodies that dry in autumn and refill in spring, but can also use human-maintained reservoirs and paddy fields.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males show a flattened orange abdomen with drop-shaped side spots and a club-shaped tip. They look similar to male ruddy darters, which have a more evenly flattened abdomen and darker pterostigmata.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure 29 to 34 mm in total length, of which the abdomen is 20 to 24 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Breeds in temporary ponds that dry out in autumn and refill after snow melt.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing in late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found across temperate Eurasia from western Europe to Japan, but absent from central Asian steppes and deserts.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Males resemble ruddy darter males, which differ by a more uniformly flattened abdomen and darker pterostigmata.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
How can I tell a spotted darter male apart from a ruddy darter male?
Look for the club-shaped orange abdomen with drop-shaped side spots; ruddy darters have a smoother abdomen and darker wing spots.
Source: Wikipedia
What habitats do spotted darters use for breeding?
They breed in temporary ponds that dry in autumn and refill in spring, and can also use human-maintained reservoirs and paddy fields.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Libellulidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympetrum_depressiusculum
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.