Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea)

Cover photo by Ronelle White.

Find this species in the FBIS database (Freshwater Biodiversity Information System) here.

Family Libellulidae

Identification

Small to medium sized

Length up to 44mm; Wingspan attains 71mm.

The Broad Scarlet is easily regognised due to their flattened and very broad abdomens. The adult male is bright red with small amber patches at the bases of the hindwings. The veins on the leading edges of the wings are red.

Females and immatures vary from yellow to brown and have a conspicuous pale stripe along the top of the thorax.

The Broad Scarlet most resembles the Little Scarlet Crocothemis sanguinolenta. The Broad Scarlet is readily differentiated by its larger size, broader abdomen, and longer, yellow pterostigmas. The two also occupy somewhat different habitats with Crocothemis sanguinolenta preferring habitats with running water and rocks.

Click here for more details on identification.

Habitat

The Broad Scarlet occupies a wide range of habitats and can be found almost anywhere there is fresh water including roadside puddles. However, the Broad Scarlet prefers still-water habitats as opposed to flowing waters. It is most common at the grass and sedge fringes of lakes, ponds, pans, and marshes. They are less frequent at rivers and streams, where they prefer the slower-moving stretches and quiet backwaters. The Broad Scarlet is often found at man-made habitats like dams, reservoirs, ornamental ponds, and even swimming pools. The Broad Scarlet occurs at a range of altitudes from sea level to 1600m above sea level.

Behaviour

The Broad Scarlet mostly perches conspicuously on vegetation but will occasionally perch on the ground. It flies off from a perch to capture prey, usually returning to the same site or another perch nearby, and feeds on small aerial insects. The Broad Scarlet is on the wing from December to April but is active throughout the year in warmer areas.

Status and Conservation

The Broad Scarlet is abundant and widespread. It is listed as of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Broad Scarlet is a very adaptable species and usually one of the most numerous dragonflies at any given site.

Distribution

Crocothemis erythraea is very widespread and occurs virtually throughout Africa and also occurs in the Middle East, Southern Europe and much of Western Asia.

The Broad Scarlet occurs throughout South Africa, including the arid regions of the Karoo and Kalahari.

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for Broad Scarlet in the OdonataMAP database as at February 2020.

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for Broad Scarlet in the OdonataMAP database as at December 2024.

The next map below is an imputed map, produced by an interpolation algorithm, which attempts to generate a full distribution map from the partial information in the map above. This map will be improved by the submission of records to the OdonataMAP section of the Virtual Museum.

Ultimately, we will produce a series of maps for all the odonata species in the region. The current algorithm is a new algorithm. The objective is mainly to produce “smoothed” maps that could go into a field guide for odonata. This basic version of the algorithm (as mapped above) does not make use of “explanatory variables” (e.g. altitude, terrain roughness, presence of freshwater — we will be producing maps that take these variables into account soon). Currently, it only makes use of the OdonataMAP records for the species being mapped, as well as all the other records of all other species. The basic maps are “optimistic” and will generally show ranges to be larger than what they probably are.

These maps use the data in the OdonataMAP section of the Virtual Museum, and also the database assembled by the previous JRS funded project, which was led by Professor Michael Samways and Dr KD Dijkstra.

Further Resources

The use of photographs by Ronelle White is acknowledged.

Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea (Brullé, 1832)

Other common names: Breë Blossie (Afrikaans).

Recommended citation format: Loftie-Eaton M; Navarro R; Tippett RM; Underhill L. 2025. Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea.  Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2020/05/11/broad-scarlet-crocothemis-erythraea/

References: Tarboton, M; Tarboton, W. (2019). A Guide to the Dragonflies & Damselflies of South Africa. Struik Nature.

Samways, MJ. (2008). Dragonflies and Damselflies of South Africa. Pensoft

Samways, MJ. (2016). Manual of Freshwater Assessment for South Africa: Dragonfly Biotic Index.Suricata 2. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

Martens, A; Suhling, F. (2007). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Namibia. Gamsberg Macmillan.