Alice Springs DragonfliesBlue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum) Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes)

The Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes) is a brightly coloured scarlet red dragonfly that belongs to the order Odonata seen here in Alice Springs and Central Australia (although they are found throughout Australia).

A small, striking bright red dragonfly that you just can’t miss, they can be seen around urban water sources such as fish ponds, bird baths and swimming pools. It is the mature male of the species that are red, including red eyes, red face, red thorax and red abdomen. They also have the reddish suffusions on the wing base and under certain lighting conditions the gossamer wings appear golden. The female of the species are a yellow-ochre in colour.

Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Alice Springs, NT
Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Alice Springs, NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Odonata
  • Suborder: Anisoptera
  • Superfamily: Libelluloidea
  • Family: Libellulidae
  • Genus: Diplacodes
  • Species: Diplacodes haematodes

Footnote & References

  1. Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club Facebook group – thanks to member Robert Read for the ID of this species, https://www.facebook.com/groups/alicefieldnats/
  2. Diplacodes haematodes, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplacodes_haematodes (last visited Feb. 27, 2022)
  3. Scarlet Percher Dragonfly – Diplacodes haematodes, Brisbane Insects and Spiders, https://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_dragons/ScarletPercher.htm
  4. Scarlet Percher Diplacodes haematodes, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?taxon_id=157759
  5. Diplacodes haematodes (Burmeister, 1839), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:0c6260a5-59f2-4feb-8372-db2138b29fc3

Alice Springs DragonfliesBlue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum) Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes)

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