Scarlet dragonfly
{{short description|Species of dragonfly}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Broad scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea) male Cyprus.jpg
| image_caption = Male, Cyprus
| image2 = Scarlet darter (Crocothemis erythraea) female Bulgaria.jpg
| image2_caption = Female, Bulgaria
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| taxon = Crocothemis erythraea
| authority = (Brullé, 1832)
}}
The scarlet dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common names include broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, and scarlet darter.
Status and distribution
The scarlet dragonfly is a common species in southern Europe and throughout Africa. It also occurs across western Asia as far as southern China. It 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.{{cite journal|last1=Jones|first1= S. P. |date=1996|url=https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/JBDS_Vol12no1.pdf#page=13|title=The first British record of the Scarlet Dragonfly Crocothemis erythraea (Brullé)|journal=Journal of the British Dragonfly Society|volume=12|issue= 1 |pages= 11–12}}
Habitat
A wide range of both running and standing waters, except those that are shaded. Adults may be found some distance from water in habitats ranging from desert to open woodland; absent from dense forest.{{cite book|last1=Dijkstra|first1=K.-D.B.|last2=Clausnitzer|first2=V.|title=The dragonflies and damselflies of eastern Africa|date=2014|publisher=Royal Museum for Central Africa|location=Tervuren|isbn=978-94-916-1506-1}}
Description
Crocothemis erythraea can reach a length of {{convert|33|-|44|mm}}. These dragonflies haves a flattened and rather broad abdomen. The adult male scarlet dragonfly has a bright scarlet red, widened abdomen, with small amber patches at the bases of the hindwings. Also the veins on the leading edges of the wings are red. Females and immatures are yellow-brown and have a conspicuous pale stripe along the top of the thorax.{{cite web |title=Scarlet Darter |url=http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/scarlet-darter |publisher=British Dragonfly Society |access-date=12 August 2011}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lfz5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA307 |page=307 |title=Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe: 2nd edition |author1=K-D Dijkstra |author2=Asmus Schröter |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2020|isbn=9781472943972 }}
Darter August 2007-8.jpg|male
2017.06.18.-11-Viernheim--Feuerlibelle-rotes Weibchen.jpg|red female
Scarlet darter (Crocothemis erythraea) female 2 Bulgaria.jpg|female
Crocothemis erythraea - 2017-02-28.webm|Clip
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons-inline|Crocothemis erythraea}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1409595}}
Category:Dragonflies of Europe
Category:Insects described in 1832