Rhodothemis rufa (Rambur, 1842)

Found in Asia: Bangladesh, China, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Viet Nam
 
Sub-Order: ANISOPTERA Super-Family: LIBELLULOIDEA Family: LIBELLULIDAE

Egg mass of a female dragonfly Rhodothemis rufa.

Egg mass of a female dragonfly Rhodothemis rufa. The segments are wet with water.

♀45mm

2017-06-09 WHITE BRIDGE POND

More on EGGS OF DRAGONFLIES

 
Orthetrum pruinosum Orthetrum chrysis Orthetrum testaceum Rhodothemis rufa

♀41mm
2016-09-16 MINI HYDRO

♀42mm
2016-03-19 SG IMAM

♀46mm
2007-10-21 DRAGONFLY POND

♀45mm
2017-06-09 WHITE BRIDGE POND

The 4 easily confused Male Red Dragonflies of Borneo
 
Orthetrum pruinosum Orthetrum chrysis Orthetrum testaceum Rhodothemis rufa
Orthetrum pruinosum Orthetrum chrysis Orthetrum testaceum Rhodothemis rufa

O. pruinosum
O. chrysis
O. testaceum


R. rufa

 

The Genus Orthetrum is distinguished by :
1) Complete antenodal cross vein
2) Discoidal field in the forewing has  3 cell rows through out.

A Rhodothemis rufa is distinguished by :
1) Incomplete antenodal cross vein
2) Discoidal field in the forewing has both 2 cell rows and 3 cell rows.
 




Eyes meet partially along a seam (arrowed)


Eyes barely touch at a centre point (arrowed)

 

There were about 10 red Orthetrum competing fiercely for territories in a weedy pond, and naturally I mistaken this as a young Ortherum because it is more reddish then the other.

After reference with Dr. Orr’s guide then I realized this is a Rhodothemis rufa.

A Rhodothemis rufa is distinguished by :
1) Incomplete antenodal cross vein
2) Discoidal field in the forewing has both 2 cell rows and 3 cell rows.

 

A Rhodothemis rufa has a more reddish thorax then the Orthetrum.

A female Rhodothemis rufa has middorsal pale yellowish streak, which runs from the top of antefrons through occipital triangle, prothorax, along the dorsal carina (both sides), antealar sinus, all dorsal sclerites of pterothorax and the middorsal ridge of segments 1 to 6.

Rhodothemis rufa  (hw 32-34 mm). Distinguished from red Orthetrum by incomplete antenodal cross vein.

Distinguished from Crocothemis servilia by other venational and structural details as indicated. $ body light brown; venation like S. Lakes, lily ponds and well-vegetated ditches. Widespread in tropical Asia.
 

In Rhodothemis rufa the eyes just meet at the top of the head.

Rhodothemis rufa is found in open weedy ponds and marshes from the lowlands up to 600 m. It overlaps broadly with Orthetrum chrysis. When seen in flight, the two species are almost impossible to separate, but Rhodothemis rufa is usually the less common of the two. When comparing the color of the 2, Rhodothemis rufa is more reddish on the eyes and thorex.
 

INDEX OF DRAGONFLY

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