Bug FAQBroad Scarlet
Crocothemis erythraea · Order: Odonata · Family: Libellulidae
Also called: Common Scarlet-darter, Scarlet Darter, Scarlet Dragonfly
Adult males are bright scarlet with a widened abdomen and red veins on the wing edges, while females and immature ones are yellow-brown with a pale stripe on the thorax. They measure about 33 to 44 mm long (1.3 to 1.7 in) and live near a variety of open, sunlit waters, often far from water in deserts or woodlands. The species is common in southern Europe, throughout Africa, and across western Asia to southern China.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males have a bright scarlet abdomen, small amber patches at the hindwing bases, and red veins on the wing leading edges.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Length ranges from 33 to 44 mm (1.3 to 1.7 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found near many types of running and standing waters that are not shaded; adults may be far from water in deserts or open woodlands, but not in dense forest.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Common in southern Europe, throughout Africa, and across western Asia to southern China.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It belongs to the dragonfly family Libellulidae.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Same family (Libellulidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_dragonfly
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.