There are clouds in Tang Dufu's Qujiang poems: "Wear flowers and butterflies and see them deeply, and dragonflies fly in the water." "Dragonflies are one of the oldest animals on Earth and are known as the "pride of the sky". They have a slender body, colorful colors, and elegant posture, and have the ability to fly flexibly and agilely, which makes them one of the favorite ornamental insects. Today, we will introduce you to ten of the rarest dragonflies in the world, let's enjoy them together.
1. Broad-striped northern arrow fly (national second-class protected animal)
Ophiogomphus spinicornis (scientific name: Ophiogomphus spinicornis), also known as spiny snake, is one of the most precious species of dragonfly in China. Adult individuals are adept at flying, not only possessing long-lasting stamina for long-range flights, but also exhibiting superb flying skills. They feed on small insects and are excellent hunters for insects such as mosquitoes.
It is mainly found in China, Mongolia and Russia. In China, they are found in Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Gansu, Qinghai and Beijing. The dragonfly is listed as a national second-class protected animal in China and is also included in the IUCN Red List (IUCN).
2. Sharp-band Arrowfly (National Second-class Protected Animal)
Among the rare species of dragonflies in China, there are only two species that are listed as national protected animals, and they are the northern arrowfly and the sharp-grained Xi arrowfly. Heliogomphus retroflexus (scientific name: Heliogomphus retroflexus) is a rare species with a predominantly black body and transparent wings with some brown spots, showing a powerful and powerful feeling. However, unlike the highly adaptable dragonflies, the distribution of the sharp-edged arrowfly is limited to the Fujian region of China, with a small amount also found in Vietnam.
Due to the drastic decline in the number of the sharp-cut arrowfly, in order to protect its survival and reproduction, this species has been included in the list of national second-class protected animals in China.
3. Low-spotted dragonfly (critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)
The low-spotted dragonfly (scientific name: Libellula angelina) is one of the top 10 rare dragonfly species. It belongs to the genus Dragonfly of the family Dragonflies and emerges as an adult in April and May each year, while at other times it lives as an aquatic larvae. The low-spotted dragonfly is mainly found in countries such as China, North Korea, South Korea and Japan.
The low-spotted dragonfly is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red Species List, which is higher than the giant panda and the same as the Chinese sturgeon and baiji dolphin, which are China's first-class protected animals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in its assessment of the low spotted dragonfly level, also noted that the global population of this species is declining year by year.
4. Dry marsh dragonfly (endangered species)
Mortonagrion hirosei (scientific name: Mortonagrion hirosei) is one of the top 10 species of rare dragonfly, and it mainly inhabits muddy humus-rich wetlands, swamps, and river basins in coastal areas. This variety was first discovered in 1971 in Dry Pond, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and was officially given the scientific name of Dry Numa Silk Dragonfly in 1972. In addition to Japan and Hong Kong, it is believed to inhabit Chinese mainland as well.
The dry marsh dragonfly is found in the Tohoku region of Japan and the Kyushu region, but its habitat is decreasing due to river renovation. As a result, the dry marsh dragonfly is listed as an endangered species, and its survival status has attracted attention.
5. Great blue dragonfly (Low Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The great blue dragonfly (scientific name: Libellula vibrans) is also a rare species of dragonfly, which is mainly distributed in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, such as the United States, Mexico and other countries. It likes to inhabit ponds, rivers, etc., where there is a water source. The Great Blue Dragonfly is medium in size and has a striking blue appearance, and its larvae mostly crawl in still water in search of food.
The Great Blue Dragonfly has a special spoon-shaped lower lip covered with side bristles and chin bristles, which are its tools for obtaining food. The species is also included in the International Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is classified as Low Risk (LC) according to the 2009 edition of the Insecta Dragonfly (ver 3.1).
6. Scarlet dragonfly (low endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)
The Scarlet Dragonfly (scientific name: Crocothemis servilia), one of the top 10 rare dragonflies, is known for its bright colors. Male dragonflies have red compound eyes, and their chest and abdomen are also bright red, hence the name. They usually inhabit relatively humid areas, such as places with more dams or ditches. The species is included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species ver 3.1 2012 and is classified as Low Concern (LC).
The key medium for scarlet dragonflies to reproduce is water, and their eggs need to be laid in water. The eggs hatch in the water, grow, and eventually become full-fledged scarlet dragonflies. In addition, the scarlet dragonfly also hunts on the surface of the water, as there are a large number of insects on the surface of the water for its consumption.
7. Daori spring fly (distributed in Queshan, Henan, China)
Nihonogomphus cultratus is also one of the rarest species of dragonflies. The larvae of this species inhabit among the grains of sand, muddy water or aquatic weeds in the water, and only a few larvae live in the detritus of woodland or in the hollows of waterlogged trees, or in water films attached to rocks. It is usually active during the day, close to the living environment of the larvae, and flies in rivers, ponds, streams, etc.
Females prefer to stay away from water sources, such as near forests, where food is more readily available. This variety is only found in the Henan (Queshan) region of China.
8. Deep mountain Fujian spring fly (distributed in Fujian/Hainan/Zhejiang/Guangdong/Taiwan, China)
The rare dragonfly species Fukienogomphus prometheus (scientific name: Fukienogomphus prometheus) has an abdominal length of about 42 to 46 mm and a hind wing length of about 36 to 41 mm. They are generally active during the day and often fly near the environment where the larvae live, such as rivers and streams. The main diet of the deep mountain spring fly includes mayfly larvae, mosquito larvae and other individuals of its kind, even tadpoles and small fish. They are one of the important natural enemy insects of humans and a good indicator of water quality environment.
The distribution range of P. minchun is mainly limited to Fujian (Wuyishan, Shaowu, Jianyang, Xianyou, Yong'an, Changting), Taiwan and Guangdong in China.
9. Black-winged dragonfly (distributed in Hebei/Shandong/Jiangsu/Shaanxi/Sichuan/Hunan/Zhejiang and other places in China)
The Rhyothemis fuliginosa Selys is one of the most beautiful species of rare dragonflies, and unlike most dragonflies, it has a unique winged appearance. Although most dragonflies have transparent wings, only a small portion of the front of the wings is transparent, exposing the wing moles, while the rest of the wings are a mixed blue-green-black metallic color, giving it a very textured feel. Their unfurled, metallic blue-black wings are beautiful when illuminated by the sun.
Compared to other dragonflies, the Black-winged Dragonfly always flies at a leisurely pace. Due to their wider fore and rear wings, they flap their wings less frequently, and when they fly, they are more like butterflies with a graceful and charming posture. Therefore, people praise it as the "butterfly dragonfly". It is mainly distributed in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Liaoning. As an ancient dinosaur-like species, they are quite limited in number.
10. Butterfly (distributed in China and Vietnam)
Chlorogomphus papilio (scientific name: Chlorogomphus papilio) is a very famous and rare species of dragonfly. They are the largest dragonflies in the territory of China, with a beautiful and huge body size, with a wingspan of up to 14-15 cm. The head of this breed is oval in shape on the front, and when viewed on the back, the two eyes touch each other to form a straight line.
The butterfly schizolip flies prefer to inhabit mountainous areas between 500 and 1,500 meters above sea level, especially in the clear mountain stream environment of lush forests. Their distribution is limited to Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang, and Vietnam in China.
The world's top ten rarest dragonflies are mainly based on the rarity/popularity of dragonflies and comprehensively refer to the relevant rankings/lists on the Internet for recommendation, the data is as of October 27, 2023, if you have any doubts, please comment/criticize and correct at the end.