Crocothemis erythraea Latest News
Recently, odonatologists have reconfirmed the presence of the elusive dragonfly species, Crocothemis erythraea, in the high-elevation regions of the southern Western Ghats.
About Crocothemis erythraea
- It is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
- Its common names include broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, and scarlet darter.
- The genus Crocothemis in India includes two known species—C. servilia and C. erythraea. While C. servilia is common across lowland areas, C. erythraea is known from high-elevation habitats in parts of Europe and Asia, including the Himalayas.
- The molecular analysis showed that the high-elevation specimens from the Western Ghats match C. erythraea found in the Himalayas.
- Habitat: The study confirmed that the Western Ghats hosts both the species, C. erythraea, which is restricted to cool, high-elevation habitats (>550 m), while C. servilia is common in lowland habitats (<600 m).
- The researchers explain that C. erythraea colonised southern India during the Pleistocene Ice Age, when cooler climatic conditions allowed temperate fauna to extend their range southward.
- As the climate warmed, these populations became stranded in montane locations like the Sholas and grasslands of Munnar and Parambikulam, where they survived in isolation.
Source: TH
Crocothemis erythraea FAQs
Q1: What is Crocothemis erythraea?
Ans: The scarlet dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
Q2: What do scarlet dragonflies eat?
Ans: Dragonflies eat other insects, such as flies, midges and mosquitoes.
