what is the smallest dragonfly
Nannophya is a genus of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. They are found in Asia and Australia.They are commonly known as Pygmyflies. Species of Nannophya are small to tiny dragonflies often brightly coloured.It includes Nannophya pygmaea, the scarlet dwarf, which is considered to be the world’s smallest dragonfly.
I had quite forgotten that I’ve been sitting on this picture of our smallest dragonfly — the amazing Elfin Skimmer (Nannothemis bella), and its one of my favorite pictures from last summer. The back story is that there is this wetland (more-or-less-a fen) near me, and it has a very healthy population of these tiny dragonflies. Their environmental requirements are very strict, requiring a rather narrow range of water depth, clarity, and pH, else they disappear. Further, they don’t fly far. I’ve never seen one fly more than a few feet. I wanted to convey the size of these insects, and my solution here was to perch one on my index finger. This is a recently emerged female, so she was easily captured in a net. Males are slightly smaller!
Chinese museum discovers world’s smallest dragonflies
Photo taken on Oct. 16, 2020 shows a sample of dragonfly found in Sichuan, southwest China. A Chinese museum said it has found the world’s smallest dragonflies in terms of body length in samples collected from southwest China. The samples from Sichuan Province were identified as those of Nannophya pygmaea, commonly known as scarlet dwarf, with the smallest adult specimen having a body length of about 15 mm, according to the Insect Museum of West China. (Insect Museum of West China/Handout via Xinhua)
CHENGDU, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) — A Chinese museum said it has found the world’s smallest dragonflies in terms of body length in samples collected from southwest China.
The samples from Sichuan Province were identified as those of Nannophya pygmaea, commonly known as scarlet dwarf, with the smallest adult specimen having a body length of about 15 mm, according to the Insect Museum of West China.
Zhao Li, curator of the museum, said among the more than 10 samples collected in August, the average body length of an adult male was 16.5 mm and an adult female measured 16 mm. The previous record for the smallest dragonfly stood at 17 mm.
Nannophya pygmaea is the smallest known dragonfly, mostly found in Southeast Asia and tropical parts of China. Previous records show that the body lengths of adults measured between 17 and 19 mm.
Zhao said the samples come from a scarlet dwarf population in an alpine gorge region in Sichuan, the northernmost habitat for such dragonflies in China. The mountains may have isolated the population, allowing it to evolve independently to have a different body type.
There are approximately 5,000 dragonfly species in the world. China is home to more than 990 species, more than any other country, according to the museum, one of the largest insect museums in Asia. Enditem
World’s smallest dragonfly lives in HK
The Scarlet Dwarf is the smallest dragonfly in the world, measuring only two centimetres in length. You can find the bright red dragonfly in Luk Keng, the northeastern corner of the New Territories.
The Scarlet Dwarf usually lives in weedy margins of ponds and swampy wetland areas, and the wetland in Luk Keng is a dragonflies’ wonderland in summer.
The wetland features wet paddy fields and a large bed of lush green mangroves.
It is also the home for our feathered friends �V egrets. Several hundred herons and egrets live in the wetland. The most commonly seen are the snow white great egrets and the slightly smaller little egret.
If you have binoculars handy, zoom in for a close-up of the night heron. This species is distinguished by its blue-black upperparts and light grey body.
Overhead, a Chinese pond heron flutters up in the sky. Its glittering white wings strike an attractive contrast with its brown-back plumage.
No binoculars? Don’t worry. You can always catch a good view of egrets from a nearby sidewalk.
When enjoying your wetland tour, do not disturb any wildlife and observe quietly. Do not step on the mangroves as this might damage them.
