Encyclopedia of Biodiversity: Red-Bellied Dragonfly – The Flying Pilot with a ‘Red Tummy’

Today, we will introduce you to Spearfish·Red-bellied Dragonfly

Red-bellied Dragonfly

Aethriamanta brevipennis

Arthropods, insects, dragonflies. The Red-bellied Dragonfly is 27-29mm long, with a abdomen length of 16-19mm, and the hindwings are 24-25mm. Male eyes are black-brown, the face is blue-black, and the forehead has a metallic sheen; the thorax is black on the back, yellow-brown on the sides, and the feet are black, with a small red spot at the end of the hind leg; the abdomen is bright red, short and stout. Female is primarily yellow-brown; the hind leg segment has a small yellow spot; the abdomen is yellow with black stripes.

Habitats in ponds with water hyacinth growth at an altitude of 500m or less, with a flight period of 3-12 months. Distributed only in Yunnan, Dehong, and Xishuangbanna, Hong Kong domestically; and India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and Thailand abroad.

Zhang Hao, a Doctor of Entomology, currently works at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducting research on the classification, ecology, and phylogeny of the dragonfly order. Over the past 20 years of fieldwork, his footprints have covered more than 100 natural reserves in Asia, Europe, and Africa. During his doctoral studies, he was invited to visit the Netherlands National Museum, the world's dragonfly source, and is the first Chinese dragonfly expert to conduct research on dragonflies on the African continent.

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