Sympetrum danae (Sulzer, 1776)

Pompilio, Lucia & Mosini, Andrea, 2021, The Odonate fauna of Val Grande National Park (Insecta: Odonata), Fragmenta entomologica 53 (1), pp. 25-42 : 35-36

25. Sympetrum danae (Sulzer, 1776)

Conservation and breeding status: LC (EU), LC (IT), LC (MED), B

This circumboreal lentic dragonfly was recorded and observed as breeding in LPO (7) and PDS (15); in

the latter, two groups of 20 and 30 individuals were observed in two sites 135 m apart (9 Sep 2016) and an intense period of copulation and oviposition was recorded. De Marmels & Schiess (1978) reported this species for the Vigezzo valley, in the municipality of Santa Maria Maggiore which is situated ca 5 km from VGNP boundary. It was the second most abundant species for the park and surrounding areas. In Italy the occurrence of S. danae is limited to the Alps ( Riservato et al. 2014c). In Piedmont it is rather localized in a few alpine valleys, including Val d’Ossola ( Boano et al. 2007) where later surveys revealed it to be more widely distributed ( Clemente et al. 2011; Bionda et al. 2013). A similar pattern relative to distribution and elevation was observed in adjacent Swiss Cantons Tessin and Valais ( Wildermuth et al. 2005). Though occurring in all Italian Alpine regions and not being listed in any red list, S. danae shows a scattered distribution and is often represented by small populations which may suffer from climate change and desiccation of suitable habitats in the future ( Assandri 2019; Boudot et al. 2009; Gheza 2013; Sindaco et al. 2008; Zandigiacomo et al. 2015).