ruddy darter sympetrum sanguineum

portraits
ruddy darter
Male. There are small yellow patches at the base of each wing and black lines on s8 & s9.
ruddy darter
Male. The male has a waisted abdomen with a bulbous end. The wing-spots are reddish. The frons is red.
ruddy darter
female: abdomen much thicker and more uniform than the male's, with more strongly defined dark markings; eyes are brown above and yellow below
ruddy darter
Slightly immature male since wing-spots are still pale.
ruddy darter
Male. This is the only red UK darter with all-black legs.
ruddy darter ruddy darter
There may be a case for red-veined darter but end of abdomen appears bulbous. The wing-spots are not as strongly outlined in black as the red-veined and the reddish/ yellow fusion near the wing bases could identify this as an aged male ruddy darter.
ruddy darter
immature male
 ruddy darter
immature male: the thorax should become reddish
ruddy darter
immature male
 ruddy darter
immature male
ruddy darter
female
 ruddy darter
female


in tandem
ruddy darter
black legs, yellow patches at wing base, clubbed end to male abdomen, very dark red-brown wing-spots