Scarlet dragonfly

Crocothemis erythraea
male
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Epiprocta
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Crocothemis
Species: C. erythraea
Binomial name
Crocothemis erythraea
(Brullé, 1832)
Female found near Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Crocothemis erythraea is a species of dragonfly in the genus Crocothemis. Its common names include broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, scarlet darter and scarlet dragonfly.[1]

Description

The adult male scarlet dragonfly has a bright scarlet red, widened abdomen, with small amber patches at the bases of the hindwings. Females and immatures are yellow-brown and have a conspicuous pale stripe along the top of the thorax.[2]

Status and distribution

The scarlet dragonfly is a common species in southern Europe and north Africa. It is recorded from every country in Africa and occurs across Asia as far as southern China.[1]

Status in Britain

The scarlet dragonfly is a very rare vagrant in Britain. Its first record in the country was at Hayle Kimbro Pool, The Lizard, Cornwall on 7 August 1995. Since then there have been a few further records at scattered locations throughout Britain.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Clausnitzer, V. (2006). "Crocothemis erythraea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Scarlet Darter". British Dragonfly Society. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  3. ↑ Jones, Steven P. (1996), The first British record of the Scarlet Dragonfly Crocothemis erythraea (Brullé), Journal of the British Dragonfly Society Vol. 12 No. 1 pp. 11-12

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