Black Darter
Sympetrum danae
The male is an unmistakable black with small yellow patches on the sides of the thorax and abdomen. It also has a pinched waist. The mature female is a dark brown, with a black triangle on the thorax. The teneral male is a striking yellow and black.
This species is very much a moorland/heathland specialist, being largely confined to the Crowle Waste/Isle of Axholme area, although remnant populations have been recorded in the past from the lowland heath fragments in south-west Lincoln and Woodhall Spa. A curious anomaly has occured over the last few years with small numbers being recorded from Gibraltar Point. It can be seen on the wing from mid-July to October.
Nationally its range represents the availability of its habitat, so is more common in the north and west, and largely absent in the east, due almost entirely to loss of habitat through agricultural improvement or afforestation.
Distribution map
Male
Female
