Rhodothemis is a genus of dragonflies
in the familyLibellulidae. The species occur from India, through south-east
Asia to Australia. The genus contains the following species:
Rhodothemis flavostigma (Navas, 1932)
Rhodothemis lieftincki (Fraser, 1954)
Rhodothemis mauritsi (Lohmann, 1984)
Rhodothemis nigripes (Lohmann, 1984)
Rhodothemis rufa (Rambur, 1842)
Rhodothemis rufa (Rambur, 1842) is
a medium-sized species with red-bodied males. In males, the hindwing is
33 to 35 mm long and the total body length ranges from 41 to 44 mm. It
is very easily confused with Crocothemis servilia and similarly, the male
also has red eyes, thorax and abdomen, with a thick pale band on the dorsum
of the thorax. It is separated by features of the venation and the eyes,
which just touch in Rhodothemis rufa (meeting more broadly in Crocothemis
servilia). Both Rhodothemis rufa and C. servilia have red eyes but R. rufa
lacks the black strip on the dorsal of abdomen. Further, they prefer to
perch on leaves with wings wide open; rarely perch on a bare twig.
The female is brown with a distinguish
bright yellow stripe at middorsal (along the dorsum of the thorax) that
extends to the third segment of the abdomen. Immature males are similar
to females. The pale band of the dorsum seprates it from Crocothemis servilia,
as well as the structural features noted for the male.
This is not a forest species. Males
tend to perch on the flat surface of leaves and lily pads, rather than
on tips of emergent plants.
Rhodothemis rufa is a very widespread
species, occurring throughout tropical and subtropical mainland Asia, the
Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hainan,
the Solomon Islands, and as far south as New Guinea, common over much of
its range and not under any significant threat at present. Assessed by
IUCN Red List as Least Concern.
References:
http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/dna/organisms/details/764
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/163598/0
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