Scarlet skimmer
Mature males of this dragonfly turn almost entirely blood red, even the eyes, while females stay olive brown, and it has spread as far as Florida and Hawaii.
| Where | Ponds, ditches and rice fields |
|---|---|
| Size | 36 to 45 mm body length |
| When | May to October |
The Scarlet skimmer is a medium-sized dragonfly with a body 36 to 45 mm long. Mature males are blood red all over, including the eyes, with a thin black line down the back of the abdomen, while females and immatures are olive brown with a broader dark stripe.
It breeds in still water such as ponds, ditches, marshes and rice fields across east and southeast Asia, and introduced populations now also breed in Florida, Hawaii and Jamaica.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Red, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; it hunts only small flying insects and does not bite or sting.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Both are common red dragonflies of Japan, but the Autumn darter's head and thorax stay brown even as its abdomen reddens and it only turns red in lowland areas from autumn, while the Scarlet skimmer turns red all over, including the face and eyes, through summer.
Questions
Is the Scarlet skimmer dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; it hunts only small flying insects and does not bite or sting.
When can you see the Scarlet skimmer?
The Scarlet skimmer can be seen from May to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Samuele Papeschi, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Crocothemis
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.