July

It's summer again, so is the season for dragonfly watching. A larger variety of dragonflies start to dance around, sharing their beauties with those who dare to step under the heat. In fact dragonflies have a number of ways to combat the high temperature under the sun.

Scarlet Basker has a very interesting way to reduce heat uptake. Usually they can be seen on conspicuous branches. On hot sunny days, you may find its abdomen raised vertically towards the sun. By reducing the body area covered by sunlight, heat absorption can be minimised.

The Scarlet Basker may look similar to the male Crimson Darter and male Crimson Dropwing, all of which are red in colour. However, through careful observations, we can still find small differences between these three species. Unlike the brilliant red Crimson Darter and scarlet red Crimson Dropwing, Scarlet Basket is actually dark red in colour. Also the dark brown pigment at the base of the hind wings also distinguishes it from others. Meanwhile, the female Scarlet Basker is generally yellow in colour, with pigment in light brown colour.

This summer, just bring your sun block and visit the Scarlet Basker at Wetland Park!