Broad Scarlet, Crocothemis erythraea, Breë Blossie

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100 990 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Young Male Kromdraai Dec 2016r 3

100 780 Teneral Female Kromdraai GP RSA Nov 2016r 4

Short description:

Broad Scarlet, Crocothemis erythraea, Breë Blossie is medium sized, overall bright red, with broad abdomen and small basal amber patch on hind wing.

Family Libellulidae Leach, 1815

Also known as Common Scarlet-darter, Scarlet Darter, Scarlet Dragonfly

More image:

102 022 2018 03 13 hluhluwe broad scarlet MaleImage
Gallery

100 1002 Male Close UP RNR GP RSA June 2018r 1Male
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100 3519 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Female Close UP RNR GP RSA Mch 2018r 1Female
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100 3510 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet 1 Female Close UP RdW LP RSA Mch 2018r 2Female Mature
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100 1817 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Female Close up Ndumu Mch 2018r 1FemaleYoung
Close up

100 3501 Broad Scarlet Vulva scale Anotated Vulva Scale
Close-up

 

 

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Guides:
Key identification features:

Males

  • Red colour (light golden colour in immature males) darkening to a deep dark red with age..102 022 2018 03 13 hluhluwe broad scarlet Male  100 590 Oos Rand Febr 2016 R 6 of 6
  • Face reddish becoming darker with maturity.. Labrum orange. Anteclypeus dull orange. Postclypeus and frons dull red, brownish next to eyes. Top of head reddish in front, dullorange above 100 1006 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Male Close UP RNR GP RSA June 2018r 9
  • Eyes dull crimson with distinctive light blue edging on hind margin. 100 1006 Close UP RNR GP RSA June 2018r 9
  • Thorax deep red becoming brownish below.  100 1003 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Male Close UP RNR GP RSA June 2018r 3  100 1004 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Male Close UP RNR GP RSA June 2018r 5  100 1005 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Male Close UP RNR GP RSA June 2018r 7
  • Wings clear with reddish main veins, hind wings with brownish basal patches, fore wings with minute amber patches at bases.  100 2058 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Male Close UP RNR GP RSA June 2018r 15  Pterostigmas light yellowish brown between blackish veins becoming darker with age, 4.1–4.3 mm long  100 2059 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Male Kromdraai GP RSA Nov 2016r 1
  • Broad abdomen (3.5 mm wide or more) tapering to S10. Long, dark smudgy line, running the length of the abdomen but becoming distinctly narrow and black on S8-9. Lateral carina of S3-7 usually unmarked  100 1007 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Male Close UP RNR GP RSA June 2018r 12  100 1008 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Male Close UP RNR GP RSA June 2018r 13

Females

  • Light orange-brown but change to a dark mustardy brown with age. 100 996 Female Kgomo Kgomo NWP RSA Febr 2017r 7  100 586 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet old female Rust de Winter June 2016 t 5
  • Eyes brownish, with a light grey hind margin. 100 1960 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Female RNR GP RSA Apr 2017r 9  100 1958 Female RNR GP RSA Apr 2017r 6
  • Thorax orange-brown to mustard with an indistinct narrow darker brown and adjacent light brown shoulder stripe on either side.  100 1958 Female RNR GP RSA Apr 2017r 6  100 1959 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Female RNR GP RSA Apr 2017r 8 100 3522 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Female Close UP RNR GP RSA Mch 2018r 5
  • Distinct creamy coloured stripe between wings. Hind wing with diffuse basal amber patch that vary in size between individuals and with age. Pterostigmas light yellowish brown, 4 mm long.100 3518 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet 1 Female Close UP RdW LP RSA Mch 2018r 18
  • Abdomen light orange brown to mustard with diffuse, dark, dorsal stripe. Lateral carina with continuous dark stripe .Vulvar scale almost perpendicular to abdomen (below s 9)  100 1955 Crocothemis erythraea Broad Scarlet Female RNR GP RSA Apr 2017r 2

Note: The members of the Genus Crocothemis may spend long periods away from water, when reproductive inactive, and are then duller, e.g. Dark red, orange, brown or greyish.

Habitat:
  • Prefers mostly standing and often temporary waters, but sometimes rivers, streams and possibly large lakes, in open landscapes.
    Often with emergent vegetation and a soft (like muddy) bottom.
  • From 0 to 2300 m above sea level, but mostly below 1800.
Behaviour:
  • It perches conspicuously, usually close to the water surface on lilies, reeds and twigs and occasionally on boulders
Compared with other species:
  • Very similar to Pterostigmas in colour and size but slightly larger.
  • C. sanguinolenta 100 1961 Crocothemis sanguinolenta Little Scarlet Female Mooinooi NWP RSA Nov 2016r 4 100 1966 Crocothemis sanguinolenta Little Scarlet Female Mooinooi NWP RSA Nov 2016r 17  100 1968 Crocothemis sanguinolenta Little Scarlet Male Close up Bobejaan Aug 2017r 5 100 1975 Crocothemis sanguinolenta Little Scarlet Mooinooi NWP RSA Nov 2016r 14  has blackish flat triangular shaped markings on the lower side of the abdomen.
  • Pterostigmas of C. Erythraea is long and thin. PT of C. sanguinolenta is yellowish to reddish brown, 3.1-3.3 mm long, Therefore shorter and broader than the PT of C. Erythraea
  • Female varies in colour from a light golden to darkish mustard colour.
  • Vulvar scales vary between C. erythraea (Broad and short underneath sebment 9 of abdomen)  100 3501 Broad Scarlet Vulva scale Anotated and C. sanguinolenta (narow and extends below segment 10)
Related Species

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution:

Scarlet Distribution Map June 2020Distribution Map
South Africa

South Africa Physical MapPhysical Map
South Africa

South africa political map Political Map
South Africa 

Crocothemis divisa Rock Scarlet Africa Distribution Map Oct 2021Distribution Map
Africa

Arica Physical MapPhysical Map
Arica

Political Map AfricaPolitical Map
Africa

 

 

South Africa

  • Well populated throughout South Africa.

Africa

  • Algeria; Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Côte d'Ivoire; Cameroon; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo-Brazzaville; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinee-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Libya; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Republic of Guinea; Republic of South Africa; Rwanda; São Tomé & Príncipe; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Socotra (Yemen); Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania; Togo; Tunisia; Uganda; Western Sahara; Zambia; Zimbabwe;
 Further reading:

Websites.

Citation