Scarlet skimmer (Crocothemis servilia)

Scarlet skimmer (Crocothemis servilia) is a species of dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae. It is a medium-sized, blood-red dragonfly, characterized by a thin black line running along the center of its abdomen, blood-red eyes with purplish sides, and a bright reddish thorax that often appears blood-red on the dorsal side.

Females have a similar appearance, though their thorax and abdomen are olive-brown, with a central black stripe along the back that tends to be wider.



Dragonflies are formidable fliers with an extensive range; they are found in a wide variety of habitats, from forests and gardens to residential yards and urban environments.

This species can be found from coastal regions up to an elevation of 3,000 meters. They breed in ponds, ditches, marshes, open wetlands, and rice paddies, which serve as sites for egg-laying and as habitats for their pre-adult life stages.

The larvae undergo metamorphosis into nymphs before eventually emerging from the water as adult dragonflies. Throughout both their larval and nymphal stages, these insects are voracious carnivores; large nymphs are even capable of hunting and preying upon tadpoles and fish.

TAXON

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Anisoptera
Superfamily: Libelluloidea
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Crocothemis Brauer (1868)
Species: Crocothemis servilia Drury (1773)

SYNONYMS

Crocothemis flavostigma Navás (1932)
Crocothemis indica Sahni (1965)
Crocothemis novaguineensis Förster (1898)
Crocothemis reticulata Kirby (1886)
Crocothemis servilia mariannae Kiauta (1983)
Crocothemis soror Rambur (1842)
Libellula ferruginea Gmelin (1788)
Libellula servilia Drury (1773)
Libellula soror Rambur (1842 )
Rhodothemis flavostigma Navás (1932)

VERNACULAR NAME

Arabic: يعسوب قرمزي شرقي
Chinese (simplified): 红蜻
Chinese (traditional): 猩紅蜻蜓 - 紅蜻
Dutch: Oostelijke vuurlibel
English: Scarlet skimmer, Oriental scarlet, Crimson darter, Common scarlet, Ruddy marsh skimmer
French: Crocothème de Servilia, Crocothémis d'Asie, Libellule écarlate d'Orient
German: Orientfeuerlibelle
Hebrew: דלגנית אסיתית
Hong Kong: 紅蜻
Indonesian: Capung merah, Capung sambar garis hitam
Japanese: ショウジョウトンボ
Java: Kinjeng getih
Korean: 고추잠자리
Macao: 紅蜻
Malayalam: വയൽത്തുമ്പി
Russian: Шафранка-невольница
Singapore: Common scarlet
Taiwan: 猩紅蜻蜓
Thai: แมลงปอบ้านบ่อ

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium