Scarlet Dragonfly
Crocothemis erythraea
The Scarlet Dragonfly occurs in Asia, Africa and throughout Europe. It is a very common species and is widely distributed across mainland Portugal. Highly versatile in its choice of habitat, during the hot season the Scarlet Dragonfly may even colonise ponds and pools of stagnant water, where oxygen is scarce and temperatures are high. It is a frequent presence in city gardens, occupying any available waterbody, including small ponds, fountains, tanks and lakes. At the Gulbenkian Garden, it is most often seen around the smaller lakes, where aquatic vegetation is sparser, making it easy to spot males tenaciously defending small stretches of water.
Text: Eva Monteiro, Albano Soares, Renata Santos, Rui Félix, Cândida Ramos, Ricardo Ramirez and Patrícia Garcia-Pereira