Crocothemis erythraea

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

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