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Nannophya pygmaea Rambur, 1842
| Family Name: | Libellulidae |
| Taxonomic Group: | Invertebrates (Dragonfly and Damselfly) |
| Common Name: | Scarlet Pygmy |
Name
Description
| Size | 17 mm |
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| Description | The smallest dragonfly in the region and one of the smallest in the world. Males have a red thorax and abdomen. Eyes are red at the top and dark brown below, with a sharp line of delineation. Wing base is tinted with amber. In females, dorsum of thorax is black, with transverse bands of brown and white found on abdomen. Eyes are light brown on top and olive green below. Immature males are yellowish brown. |
Ecology, Habitat & Location
| Ecological Notes | It occurs in open country and along forest edges, where there is grassy or weedy vegetation along the banks of rivers, streams, ponds or drains.This species likes marshes with lots of sedge plants. They can be spotted perching right at the tip of these plants. During hot sunny days, they will tip their abdomen upwards to regulate their body temperature by exposing less body surface area to the sun. |
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| Habitats | Forest, Freshwater |
| Distribution | Widespread in tropical and subtropical Asia and Australasia, including Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. |
| Nature Reserves | Central Catchment Nature Reserve |
| Nature Areas | Pulau Ubin |
Conservation
| Conservation Notes | The presence of freshwater marshes is essential for the survival of this species. |
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Status
| Species Status | Native |
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| Conservation Status | Common |
| Singapore Red Data Book Status | Least Concern (LC) [2008] |
| IUCN Red List | Least Concern |
Photos
References
| References | Ngiam, R. 2011. Dragonflies of our parks and gardens. Singapore: National Parks Board. 110pp. Tang, H.B., Wang, L.K. & Hämäläinen, M. 2010. A photographic guide to the dragonflies of Singapore. Singapore: Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. 222pp. |
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