Scarlet Percher

Fascinating facts about the Scarlet Percher

• The scarlet percher habitually settles on scorching rocks instead of twigs or leaves, a behaviour that makes it stand out in its sun-baked environment. This choice of perch is linked to its pronounced wariness, as it quickly darts away when approached. It is most often seen in hot, exposed sites beside rivers, streams, ponds or lakes, where such warm stones are plentiful, reinforcing its preference for heat.
• The scarlet percher is found across the Australian mainland, extending its range to Timor, New Guinea, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, yet it is completely absent from Tasmania.
• Despite a modest wingspan of 60 mm and a body length of 35 mm, the scarlet percher is described as a spectacular dragonfly, its vivid colours making a strong visual impact.
• The specific epithet haematodes comes from the Greek word meaning "blood-like" or "looking like blood". This naming directly references the dragonfly's vivid scarlet colouring, which is most obvious in the male's brilliant red abdomen. The same deep red hue is also visible in the wing veins of both sexes, reinforcing the blood-red image the name evokes.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Scarlet Percher

As the sun rises over the tranquil waters, a flash of iridescent blue and scarlet darts across the surface, the Scarlet Percher dragonfly dancing on delicate wings, its agile form weaving through the reeds with effortless precision. With a mesmerizing flutter, it alights upon a slender stem, its vibrant colors glowing like embers as it surveys its kingdom, a true marvel of evolutionary adaptation. In this fleeting moment, the Scarlet Percher embodies the very essence of life, a whirlwind of beauty and energy, suspended in the stillness of the natural world.

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