Crimson Males & Un-Crimson Females | Meet the Marsh Gliders! 💚💚💚

The “Uncrinsomly” Female “Crimson” Marsh Glider

& Her Male Counterpart! 😊

#intothewildwithrufus #birding

Today we were lucky enough to have captured some wonderful photos that showcase sexual dimorphism in all its grandeur among dragonflies!

Well, sexual dimorphism connotes the difference in form, size, colour, or structure between males and females of the same species - where males and females of the exact same species look completely different from one another.

Dragonflies are often classified under a few sub-categories depending on what they ‘do’ – and how they ‘do’ it – skimmers, gliders or perchers!

In this blogpost, let’s have a look at the Male and Female Crimson Marsh Glider!

The name Female “Crimson” Marsh Glider (first & second pic) is in fact so “uncrimson”ly for the Female of this Marsh Glider species.

That’s again because of sexual dimorphism!

It is the males which are famous for their luminous, vibrant crimson (purplish-red) bodies. However, the females look like an entirely different species to beautifully blend into their marshy environments.

Instead of red, the female’s thorax and abdomen are an earthy olive-green, and this lack of bright crimson is an advantage for the female! While the males need their bright colours to establish territory and attract mates, the female’s olive green tones provide excellent camouflage among dry twigs, reeds, and marsh grasses, keeping her safe from predators while she rests or lays eggs.

Now, let’s come to the Male Crimson Marsh Glider! (third & fourth pic)

We spotted the male frequently performing a unique behaviour again and again! When we googled it, we learnt the name for this behaviour – It’s called the “obelisk posture.”

It seems on very hot days, (like we had today) 😊 they regularly point their abdomen straight up into the air toward the sun. This minimises the surface area of their body exposed to direct sunlight, helping them to cool down, it seems!

Secondly, unlike females who hide in the reeds, males are highly territorial and want to be seen. They reliably return to the exact same exposed, prominent perches (usually the very tip of a dry twig or grass stem like the one over here) over and over again to survey their territory!

Nature’s ways (God’s ways) are so beautiful, ain’t it?