A note on the existence of androchrome females in Crocothemis servilia (Dru.) (Anisoptera: Libellulidae)

Androchrome females have been reported in Crocothemis erythraea (Brülle) by M. KOTARAC (1996, Notul. odonatol. 4: 123-124; 1999, Exuviae 6: 19-20). P.S.CORBET(1999, Dragonflies: ecology and behaviour of Odonata, Harley Books, Colchester) observed that this may represent true polychromatism rather than reversible temperature-induced colour change. “Blushed females” of C. erythraea are mentioned in K – D.B.DIJKSTRA (2006, Field guide to dragonflies of Britain and Europe, Wildlife Publishing, Gillingham). There appear to be no reports of androchrome females of C. servilia. Mature C. servilia females in Sri Lanka have an ochreous thorax and an ochreous abdomen with a black raid-dorsal line on segments 2 to 10. Teneral and juvenile females are a brighter yellow. There are no reports of androchrome females from references in Hong Kong (K.D.P. WILSON, 1995, Hong Kong dragonflies, p. 175. Urban Council, Hong Kong), Peninsular Malaysia (A.G. ORR, 2005, Dragonflies of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapure, p. 105, Nat. Hist. Pubis, Borneo), India (EC. FRASER, 1936, Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma: Odonata, Vol. 3, p. 345) or Borneo (A.G, ORR, 2003, Guide to the dragonflies of Borneo, p. 125, Nat. Hist. Pubis, Borneo), but Dr Matti Hämäläinen (pers. comm.) reports “that there are C. servilia females with reddish abdomens” in Thailand (photograph in ORR, 2003, loc. cit., fig. 192).