Darter for ID (1 Viewer)

[Owene]

Still filing photos from last year. Is this immature Ruddy Darter (S sanguineum)? separated from Common Darter (s striolatum) by the markings at the end of the abdomen being thicker and not T shaped. Taken at Otmoor in august.

 

[pdwinter]

Still filing photos from last year. Is this immature Ruddy Darter (S sanguineum)? separated from Common Darter (s striolatum) by the markings at the end of the abdomen being thicker and not T shaped. Taken at Otmoor in august.

This is a mature female Ruddy Darter. All black legs, black down the side of the frons, and orangey yellow wing-bases are the features I would use to separate it from Common Darter.

 

[Owene]

Thanks for the detailed response. I guess I was at least getting the species right.

 

[Owene]

My book (dijkstra) had the female very dark eyed and immature male lighter Is that variable?

 

[pdwinter]

My book (dijkstra) had the female very dark eyed and immature male lighter Is that variable?

Both sexes start out looking the same in eye colouration and body colour (yellowy brown), and as they mature the eyes get darker (redder on top in the male usually), the female abdomen becomes a slightly deeper yellowy brown and then reddish in some old individuals. Old males are almost all red - frons, thorax sides, abdomen. Usually best to determine the sex by looking at the end of the abdomen - widely spaced appendages in female darters, and upper appendages which touch in males (+ a 3rd - lower - appendage in males, visible if viewing from the side). A few pics of Ruddy Darters as examples

 

[pdwinter]

I'm afraid I don't have any pics of tenerals with paler eyes

 

[Owene]

Thank you so much. That was really helpful. Great photos