| Scarlet Dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea (Brullé, 1832)) |
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Scientific name: Crocothemis erythraea (Brullé, 1832) Common name: Scarlet Dragonfly Other names: Broad Scarlet, Common Scarlet-darter. French name: Crocothémis écarlate, Libellule écarlate. Order: Odonata Suborder: Anisoptera Family: Libellulidae Wingspan: 60-65 mm. Biotope: Slow running or stagnant water, shallow and rich in vegetation, except if shady. Adults can be observed rather far from water. Geographic area: All Africa, western Asia as far as China, southern Europe and extending northwards up to Belgium and Central Germany (found in all French regions, first seen in Great Britain in 1995). Flight time: March to October in the Mediterranean regions, June to September in the northern part of the range. |
Scarlet Dragonflies show an important sexual dimorphism. The abdomen is flattened and broad. The hind wings' base bear amber patches. The pterostigmas are long and yellow. Males have bright red head, upper side of the eyes, abdomen and legs. There are no black markings on the upper side. Females are a brown yellow general colour. They show a pale dorsal stripe on the thorax and a thin black line on the upper side of the abdomen. The lower part of the eyes is blue. Some females turn to red like males. Immatures look like females. |
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At this date, this female is my only observation of a Scarlet Dragonfly in my native region of the Basse Vallée du Doubs. I must persevere in my search and my observations ... |
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The long yellow pterostigmas and the amber patches at the base of the hind wings confirm the identification of the Scarlet Dragonfly species. |
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You can see the vulvar lamina under the abdomen's tip of this female. |
André Bon October 2021