White-faced darter | |
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Male | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Odonata |
Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
Family: | Libellulidae |
Genus: | Leucorrhinia |
Species: | L. dubia
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Binomial name | |
Leucorrhinia dubia (Vander Linden, 1825)
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The white-faced darter or small whiteface (Leucorrhinia dubia) is a dragonfly belonging to the genus Leucorrhinia in the family Libellulidae, characterised by red and black markings and a distinctive white patch on the head.[2] It is found in wetlands and peat bogs from northern Europe eastwards to Siberia, and the adults are active from around April till September, which is known as the "flight period".[3] It breeds in acidic bodies of water, laying its eggs in clumps of sphagnum moss that provide a safe habitat for larval development.[4] The larvae are particularly vulnerable to predation by fish, and so are usually found in lakes where fish are not present.[5] L. dubia is listed as a species of least concern (LC) by the IUCN Red List, however, it is potentially threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change.[1]