Diplacodes haematodes - Scarlet Percher

Male identification: Bright red flattened abdomen with no spots. Bright red eyes, face and legs. Red pterostigma and main wing-veins. Yellow bases to both sets of wings

Female identification: Brownish-orange abdomen with distinct spots along the mid-dorsal line. Reddish eyes. Pale mid-dorsal line on thorax extending down between both sets of wings.

Similar species: Male unmistakeable. Female almost identical to D. bipunctata and D. melanopsis.

Behaviour: No information at present

Distribution: A lowland species generally occuring below 200m. Recorded from west Gippsland, Beechworth and in the late 1950s, from swamps around Melbourne.

Australian State distribution (from CSIRO Entomology)

Habitat: Grassy edges of any standing water.

Status: Uncommon and widespread

Flight period: November to February