Flora & Fauna (media)

2866    (8 Photos)

Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea)

2024-07-20    Rødby Færgehavn, Denmark

Imago Male Nordlige vandhul. Self-found. My first males.
2 animals. At first I noted all my sightings as the same animal. If flew from one end of the pond to the other and into the vegetation around it. But the pond was small why I assumed I only saw one animal, especially because I had the individual with the whitish smudge on S4 at both ends. But now, in mid Sep, when I look at the photos, it seems obvious that the animals in photo 2 and 4 are not the same as the one with the white smudge. I can't say if 2 and 4 are the same, but probably so - with good will the pattern on S8-10 look the same.

There have been several observations of the species this year, with stationary males, but I've been reluctant to chase them, because I wanted to find my own! Even more so, because it is a species just about to establish itself in Denmark, and there should be no reason to be a copycat, when it would just be a question of time before I found it myself. Completed, and now only follows to find an established population on Amager!

It probably looked larger in flight than the comparable darters, but it wasn't my impression that the gloving red color was that significant. And certainly not compared to Red-veined Darter [Rødåret Hedelibel] which is of the same size and also shows an intense red look overall. With more experience there might be behavioral difference one can use to distinguish the two.