White-faced Darter
Encyclopedia
The White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia dubia) is a small dragonfly
belonging to the genus
Leucorrhinia
in the family Libellulidae
. Its flight period lasts from May to August. It is found in peat bogs from northern Europe
eastwards to Siberia
. In southern Europe there are populations in some mountainous areas such as the Alps
and Pyrenees
. In Great Britain
it is rare and local with the largest population in the Scottish Highlands
.
is 21-27 mm long and the hindwing
is 23-28 mm long. Mature males have a black body with red and orange markings on the abdomen and thorax
which become darker with age. Young males and females have pale yellow markings. All have a conspicuous white frons
at the front of the head. The wings have a brown patch at the base.
It breeds in acidic pools with extensive growth of Sphagnum
moss
. The male holds a small territory
near water. Copulation
with the female often begins over water before they settle on the ground or in low vegetation for about 30 minutes. The female drops the eggs
amongst submerged moss or the stems of cottongrass. The larva
e live amongst the Sphagnum; they feed mostly at night but are also active during the day. They take one to three years to reach adulthood with two being most common. They emerge between May and early July, climbing out of the water up a plant stem before flying away from the pool. Males become mature 4-12 days after emergence and females a few days later.
. In the United Kingdom, 95% of lowland peat bogs have been destroyed limiting the available habitat for the White-faced Darter. It is protected there by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
and is covered by Biodiversity Action Plan
s in some counties.
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
belonging to the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Leucorrhinia
Leucorrhinia
Leucorrhinia is a genus of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. They commonly called Whitefaces because of their distinctive pale frons.-Species:Listed alphabetically.*Leucorrhinia albifrons – Dark Whiteface...
in the family Libellulidae
Libellulidae
The skimmers or perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest dragonfly family in the world. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the Macromiidae as the subfamily Macromiinae. Even if these are excluded , there still remains a...
. Its flight period lasts from May to August. It is found in peat bogs from northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
eastwards to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. In southern Europe there are populations in some mountainous areas such as the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. In Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
it is rare and local with the largest population in the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
.
Description
The abdomenAbdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
is 21-27 mm long and the hindwing
Insect wing
Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities. Even our understanding of the aerodynamics of flexible, flapping wings and how...
is 23-28 mm long. Mature males have a black body with red and orange markings on the abdomen and thorax
Thorax
The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.-In tetrapods:...
which become darker with age. Young males and females have pale yellow markings. All have a conspicuous white frons
Frons
Frons is the term used to describe the frontal area of an insect's head. It covers the upper part of the face above the clypeus and below and between the antennae. It supports the pharyngeal dilator muscles and usually bears an ocellus . The term itself is derived from the Latin frons "forehead"....
at the front of the head. The wings have a brown patch at the base.
Reproduction
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
. The male holds a small territory
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
near water. Copulation
Mating
In biology, mating is the pairing of opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for copulation. In social animals, it also includes the raising of their offspring. Copulation is the union of the sex organs of two sexually reproducing animals for insemination and subsequent internal fertilization...
with the female often begins over water before they settle on the ground or in low vegetation for about 30 minutes. The female drops the eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
amongst submerged moss or the stems of cottongrass. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e live amongst the Sphagnum; they feed mostly at night but are also active during the day. They take one to three years to reach adulthood with two being most common. They emerge between May and early July, climbing out of the water up a plant stem before flying away from the pool. Males become mature 4-12 days after emergence and females a few days later.
Conservation
It is vulnerable to alteration and destruction of its habitatHabitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
. In the United Kingdom, 95% of lowland peat bogs have been destroyed limiting the available habitat for the White-faced Darter. It is protected there by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom and was implemented to comply with the Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds...
and is covered by Biodiversity Action Plan
Biodiversity Action Plan
A Biodiversity Action Plan is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives from the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity...
s in some counties.