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Could anyone please ID this Dragonfly(pair) photo taken in Italian Lakes on 29th Sept. 2016. My guess is a Common Darter but one is blue(female?) in colour not yellow? At first I thought Ruddy Darter but their legs are all black?
Cheers Russ

Although I'm not familiar with the continental species I'd say these are Common Darters. The yellow on the legs rules out Ruddy and think I've ruled out all the other Sympetrum in Europe by a process of elimination. The blue you mention on the female is quite normal, you are viewing the underside of her

Thanks Bugboy for your time and info.

Cheers Russ

Hi Russ,

This is definitively common darter (sympetrum striolatum) which is widely distributed in Europe. The yellow streaks on the legs as well as the 2 yellow patches on the side of the thorax are the characteristics of this species. Ruddy darter can be ruled out because as Bugboy said it has black legs and no yellow patches on the side of the thorax.
The other darter found in the region and which also has yellow streaks on the legs (tibias) and which can be confused with the common darter is the yellow winged darter (sympetrum flavoleum) but I can't see the large yellow patches on the wings so common darter it is.
I am not sure whether you are still travelling Russ but the season for dragonflies here in the UK is coming to an end... so take the most of it while you are there. Common Darters can be seen flying in January in the most southern parts of Europe sometimes....
Sylvie

While we're on the subject of European darters would anyone care to offer the benefit of their wisdom on this one...
Common Darter? - or perhaps Southern Darter Sympetrum meridionale? Or is the latter just wishful thinking?
Seen in mid September on a chalk grassland hillside in low-lying Dordogne, France.

cheers, celery

Nice shot Celery! A difficult angle to get a positive ID (for me at least ) but having flicked through my guide it could be either a Common Darter S. striolatum or Yellow-winged Darter S. flaveolum.

Looks like a female Red- veined Darter to me.

marmari wrote:Looks like a female Red- veined Darter to me.

The Bluish lower half of the eyes? You may well be right there... Sympetrum, the dragonfly equivalent of Pyrgus!

The eyes have it! Red-veined Darter it is!
marmari and bugboy - thanks both!!

Another angle for luck...

Hi Sylvie, thanks for all the info. I did see the below Migrant Hawker(new to me) on 10th October in southern Switzerland along with another dragonfly which I'm not sure of, have you any idea?
Cheers Russ

Hi Russ,

The first picture is Aeshna Mixta - Migrant Hawker : Blue eyes, yellow triangle on the second segment of the abdomen and 2 small incomplete bars on the upperside of the thorax.
The second is a Common Darter: 2 yellows patches on the side of the thorax and yellow streaks on legs. At first, I thought this was a red veined darter as the lower part of the eyes looks blue, but I think the blue tinge comes from the reflection of the stone on which it is perched . The extent of the black on the frons tells me that it is a common darter.
Sylvie

Hi Sylvie, thank you very much for your detailed ID and I'm now a great deal wiser on dragonflies.
Kind regards Russ.