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Thursday, June 20, 2013

Odonata at Ultima Frontiera (Romania)

Four species of Lestes were on the wing at Ultima Frontiera this week. Lestes barbarus were rather localised but could be found with a little patience.

A full list of species recorded in Romania between 15th and 19th of June appears at the end of the page.

I do not see many Lestes parvidens, so it was nice to bump into this species in the more shaded riparian wetlands bordering the Danube.

 Much more familiar though were the Lestes dryas that popped up in similar habitat.

The big Lestes here though is Lestes macrostigma, always a special odo. I found just two males whilst my colleagues worked a lovely shallow lagoon for waterbirds.

I found just two newly-minted Sympecma fusca on the property.

After the excitement of adding Selysiothemis nigra to the Romanian odofauna on the first day we went on to find another five or so in the drier, sandier areas of the property. A lifer for me.

My other lifer of the trip was Orthetrum albistylum, reasonably common amongst the cancellatums.

Anax parthenope outnumbered imperator by a large margin and together they were the only aeshnids we could find.


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Banded demoiselle
Calopteryx splendens
Along the banks of the Danube and it’s larger backwaters. ancilla?
Robust spreadwing
Lestes dryas
Rather localised at UF, found at one pond.
Migrant spreadwing
Lestes barbarus
Small numbers daily at UF.
Dark spreadwing
Lestes macrostigma
Just two males noted at one spot in UF.
Eastern willow spreadwing
Lestes parvidens
Small numbers around the periphery of UF.
Common winter damsel
Sympecma fusca
Two fresh individuals encountered at UF.
Common bluetail
Ischnura elegans
Abundant.
Small bluetail
Ischnura pumilio
One male at the wetland site before we had lunch en route to the delta.
Common bluet
Enallagma cyathigerum
A few at the wetland site before we had lunch en route to the delta.
Variable bluet
Coenagrion pulchellum
Scarce in the delta?
Small red-eye
Erythromma viridulum
Common and widespread.
Blue featherleg
Platycnemis pennipes
Common in the delta.
Emperor
Anax imperator
Present in the delta in good numbers.
Lesser emperor
Anax parthenope
Quite common at the wetland before lunch en route to the delta.
Black-tailed skimmer
Orthetrum cancellatum
Widespread.
White-tailed skimmer
Orthetrum albistylum
One male at the wetland en route to the delta.
Ruddy darter
Sympetrum sanguineum
Small numbers around the periphery at UF.
Red-veined darter
Sympetrum fonscolombii
Single male at the lake en route to the delta.
Common darter
Sympetrum striolatum
A few at UF.
Southern darter
Sympetrum meridionale
The commonest Sympetrum.
Broad scarlet
Crocothemis erythraea
Abundant in the delta and a few elsewhere.
Black pennant
Selysiothemis nigra
Five individuals, all female, recorded in the drier, sandier areas of UF. First record for Romania?

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