Midday scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea) is an African species that has spread in the last decades from the Mediterranean region to a large part of Europe, almost to Scandinavia. The adult is typically 36 to 45 mm long, and the wingspan is about 6 cm.
A male will be hard to confuse with any of the other dragonfly species living here, although at a glance it is quite similar to the raspberry-red Sympetrum fonscolombii. The midday scarlet is characterized by an entirely scarlet red body. Its broad, spear-shaped abdomen and legs are completely red; any black pattern is absent! At the base of all four wings, both sexes have a band of dark orange.
The female (and the immature male) is colored quite differently from the sexually mature male. Its body is light brown. Along the middle of the dorsal side of the thorax, between the wings, it has a wide white band. White (antehumeral) bands also on the dorsal side of the front part of the thorax. Along the midline of the dorsal side of the abdomen runs a dark brown line, which is interrupted by short dark crossbars.
The midday scarlet lives in standing waters and is not picky when choosing a suitable water body. Gravel pits, shallow accumulations, ponds and clay pits, as well as reclamation canals and ditches, are all welcome.
The midday scarlet is found from May to September. It is characteristic that it does not have synchronized development, which means that in the same water body some larvae transform into adults as early as May, while others do so only in September.
