In my previous post about this species, I gave a very brief description of its physiological features. Urothemis signata is indeed called the Scarlet Basker because of the mature male’s coloration, although the young male and female are quite similar, and therefore difficult to differentiate.  The difference (prior to maturity) between the two, as far as I can tell, is that the female’s abdomen has somewhat more extensive black markings, becoming almost ringlike, whereas the male’s markings are more like patches.

Although it is very possible that there were mature males flying about the area in which I photographed this specimen (there were probably 6 or 7 immature ones about), it would be almost impossible to tell because of the extreme similarity to the mature male Ruddy Marsh Skimmer, Crocothemis servilia. Where there are females of a species, there are males to be found as well, and on the water’s edge there were several female Ruddy Marsh Skimmers, which fortunately are quite easy to identify. Cursory inspection from a decent perspective would have yielded a positive identity – however, as it was mid-day and under a baking hot sun, all the dragonflies present were quite active, and all the red ones (presumably either Scarlet Baskers or Ruddy Marsh Skimmers) refused to land. However, I did manage to catch a decent picture of a female specimen of Crocothemis servilia.

 

Photographs taken in Panangad, Kerala.