Close-ups of Maltese nature (43)
The scarlet darter
This dazzling dragonfly can be spotted in north Africa and south Europe – including Malta. Going by the scientific name of Crocothemis erythrae and the Maltese name il-mazzarell skarlat, it has a body length of around 40 to 45mm, a large rounded head with compound eyes (with different lenses) and specialised chewing mouth parts.
From its long and slender abdomen emerge two pairs of long, strong, transparent wings which are nearly equal in length. The forewings and hindwings function independently of each other, enabling this insect to swoop, turn, dive and hover about.
The males, which are bright red, have a widened and very long abdomen, red eyes and legs, and hindwings bearing a red or orange-yellow patch at their base. The females, on the other hand, are rather dull, with a body light brown to olive green in colour and hindwings bearing a yellowish coloured spot.
The females lay gelatinous strings of eggs on vegetation floating or submerged in freshwater pools. And from these, nymphs emerge which look quite different from the adults. These nymphs have a rather dull colour and extendable jaws, which enable them to capture and feed on aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae and tadpoles. At the end of their development, the larva climbs out of the water, leaving its outer shell behind, to emerge as the adult dragonfly.
The adults are especially beneficial predators because they feed on mosquitoes and other small insects. These usually tend to remain close to the water, especially the males who defend their territory against rivals.
The scarlet darter is part of our natural heritage, and even though commonly found across the Maltese islands, we should not harm or destroy such an interesting and eye-catching insect.
More information may be obtained by e-mail: nature.requests@mepa.org.mt.
The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. Malta, together with many other countries around the globe, is carrying out a number of initiatives to celebrate life on earth and the value of biodiversity for our lives. We are all invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth: Biodiversity.