Crocothemis erythraea

• English name: Broad Scarlet
• German name: Feuerlibelle
• French name: Crocothémis écarlate
• Dutch name: Vuurlibel
• Swedish name: Karmintrollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: Flammelibel
• Italian name: Frecciarossa
• Czech name: vážka červená
• Slovenian name: Opoldanski škrlatec
• Bulgarian name: Голямо червениче

Crocothemis erythraea

Not present

Present before 1990

Present after 1990

Present before and after 1990

Present after 2015

Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies

General		• a mediums-sized species which is very common in the south and which has been extending its range northwards
Classification		• suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae
Conservation status		• IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern
Scientific name		• Crocothemis erythraea (Brullé, 1832)
Name genus		• Crocothemis: from Grk. κρόκος = saffron-coloured +; Θέμις or θέμις = (Greek Titaness of) divine order, law as established by custom
Name species		• erythraea: from Grk. ἐρυθραῖος, -α, -ον = red ⇒ for the mature male's body colour
Distribution		• click or tap the Map button above
Habitat		• ponds, lakes, rice fields, etc.
Dimensions		• typical body length: 36-45 mm; hindwing: 23-33 mm
Notes		• libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females
		• mating takes place in flight and lasts for about 10 seconds
		• immature males are coloured like females
		• much larger than the similarly all-red Trithemis kirbyi
Both sexes	Wings	➤ the forewing and especially the hindwing bear a large orange patch at the base
Male	Thorax	• the thorax is completely red
	Abdomen	➤ the abdomen is red with, at most, a few small black spots (e.g. on S8 and S9)
		• the abdomen is broad and flattened in shape
Female	Thorax	➤ the thorax is yellow-brown with a pale antehumeral stripe and a pale stripe at the base of the wings
	Abdomen	• the abdomen is brown-yellow with a thin black mid-dorsal line
		• the abdomen is somewhat broad and flattened in shape
Photographs		• nearly all of our photos below were made in Tuscany