| Brown Emerald Damselfly (Sympecma fusca (Vander Linden, 1820)) |
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Scientific name: Sympecma fusca (Vander Linden, 1820) Common name: Brown Emerald Damselfly French name: Leste brun, Brunette hivernale Order: Odonata Suborder: Zygoptera Family: Lestidae Wingspan: 50 mm. Biotope: Stagnant or low running water, especially at locations with accumulation of floating plants (rush or reed stems). Geographic area: North Africa, Europe north to the extreme south of Scandinavia (the range tends to extend northwards). Missing in the British Isles. Central Asia. Flight time: All year long ( Species of the Sympecma genus are the only European Odonatas which over winter as imagos). They are difficult to observe from late November to mid February as they hide among the vegetation. |
The Brown Emerald Damselflies are small damselflies with a pale brown body showing shiny dark brown marks on the upper side of the head, on the upper side of the thorax and on the upper side of the abdomen. The narrow and pointed wings are shut parallel to the body when landed at the opposite of other Lestidae which rest with half open wings. The pterostigmas are elongated and brown. They are located at slightly different locations on the fore wings and on the hind wings so that they are almost not one over the other in the resting position. The sides of the thorax show a pale brown longitudinal band between two dark brown bands. The border between the two upper bands is straight, this allows to differentiate the Brown Emerald Damselfly from the Siberian Winter Damselfly (Sympecma paedisca). And this last species is missing in western Europe. The new brood will emerge late July and a couple of months before in the southern parts of its range. |
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The Brown Emerald Damselfly is very difficult to find among the vegetation. The lack of curved cerci at the abdomen tip indicates one female. |
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I have been able to focus exactly on the eye this times. |
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I have observed this Brown Emerald Damselfly in my garden in western suburb of Paris. |
André Bon November 2013