# Ruddy darter (*Sympetrum sanguineum*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/ruddy-darter  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum), also called Ruddy Sympetrum, is an insect in the dragonflies and damselflies subgroup, belonging to the family Libellulidae. It is classified in the order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera, superfamily Libelluloidea and genus Sympetrum, and its scientific name authority is (Müller, 1764). On the IUCN Red List, the ruddy darter is assessed globally as Least Concern (LC), which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 3.4 cm – 3.9 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Invertivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | freshwater, wetland |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Generations a year | One |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Odonata
- family: Libellulidae
- genus: Sympetrum
- species: *Sympetrum sanguineum* (Müller, 1764)

Synonyms: *Diplax armeniaca*, *Diplax nigrostigma*, *Diplax sanguinea*, *Libellula angustipennis*, *Libellula basalis*, *Libellula nigripes*, *Libellula roeselii*, *Libellula rufostigma*, *Libellula sanguineum*, *Sympetrum rufostigma*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the ruddy darter?

The ruddy darter is an insect in the dragonflies and damselflies subgroup. It belongs to the family Libellulidae in the order Odonata.

### What is the scientific name of the ruddy darter?

The scientific name of the ruddy darter is Sympetrum sanguineum, in the genus Sympetrum.

### Is the ruddy darter endangered?

No. The ruddy darter is listed as Least Concern (LC) in its global IUCN assessment, which is not a threatened category.

### What other names does the ruddy darter have?

The ruddy darter is also called the Ruddy Sympetrum in English.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/ruddy-darter