Black Darter (male)

Black Darter (male)

I guess that many of you don’t know that there exist dragonflies that are totally black.
Well have a look here, I could shoot one this summer.

It’s a Black Darter (known as Black Meadowhawk in the USA and Canada), a dragonfly living mostly in swamps and bog pools.

When young, the male has small yellow marks on the side that darkens with age and the insect becomes finally black during adulthood.
(the female is mainly yellow, becoming browner with age)

Although not as colourful as some other dragonflies, the Black Darter is a lovely dragonfly to watch.
They often perch on a sunny spot on the ground like this specimen that I spotted on one of the wooden paths in the swamps of the Belgian national park ‘Hohes Venn’.

Dutch name : Zwarte Heidelibel
German name : Schwarze Heidelibelle
Latin name : Sympetrum danae