Sympetrum is a genus of small to medium-sized skimmer dragonflies, known as darters in Europe and as meadowhawks in North America. The more than 50 species predominantly live in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere; 11 species are native to Europe and 15 species native to North America, and most of the rest in Asia. A few species also occur in tropical and southern Africa (S. fonscolombii) and in South America (S. evanescens, S. gilvum, S. roraimae, S. villosum), but none is native to Australasia.
Most species fly in late summer and autumn, breeding in ponds and foraging over meadows. Commonly, they are yellow-gold as juveniles, with mature males and some females becoming bright red or orange-red on part or all of their bodies. An exception to this scheme is the Holarctic black darter or black meadowhawk (Sympetrum danae), which has black males with no red.
The genus includes the following species:
Sympetrum ambiguum – blue-faced meadowhawk Sympetrum anomalum Sympetrum arenicolor Sympetrum baccha Sympetrum chaconi Sympetrum commixtum Sympetrum cordulegaster Sympetrum corruptum – variegated meadowhawk Sympetrum costiferum – saffron-winged meadowhawk Sympetrum croceolum Sympetrum daliensis Sympetrum danae – black darter, black meadowhawk Sympetrum darwinianum Sympetrum depressiusculum – spotted darter Sympetrum dilatatum – St. Helena darter Sympetrum durum Sympetrum eroticum Sympetrum evanescens Sympetrum flaveolum – yellow-winged darter Sympetrum fonscolombii – red-veined darter, nomad Sympetrum frequens Autumn Darter, Kochi Sympetrum gilvum Sympetrum gracile Sympetrum haematoneura Sympetrum haritonovi – dwarf darter Sympetrum himalayanum Sympetrum hypomelas Sympetrum illotum – cardinal meadowhawk Sympetrum imitans Sympetrum infuscatum Sympetrum internum – cherry-faced meadowhawk Sympetrum kunckeli Sympetrum maculatum Sympetrum madidum – red-veined meadowhawk Sympetrum meridionale – southern darter Sympetrum nigrifemur – island darter Sympetrum nigrocreatum – Talamanca meadowhawk Sympetrum nomurai Sympetrum obtrusum – white-faced meadowhawk Sympetrum orientale Sympetrum pallipes – striped meadowhawk Sympetrum paramo Sympetrum parvulum Sympetrum pedemontanum – banded darter Sympetrum risi Sympetrum roraimae Sympetrum rubicundulum – ruby meadowhawk Sympetrum ruptum Sympetrum sanguineum – ruddy darter Sympetrum semicinctum – band-winged meadowhawk Sympetrum signiferum Sympetrum sinaiticum – desert darter Sympetrum speciosum Sympetrum striolatum – common darter Sympetrum tibiale Sympetrum uniforme Sympetrum verum Sympetrum vicinum – yellow-legged meadowhawk, autumn meadowhawk Sympetrum villosum Sympetrum vulgatum – vagrant darter, moustached darter Sympetrum xiaoi
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