Last Updated on Monday, 28 August, 2023 06:28:07 PM

Family Libellulidae  >  Genus Neurothemis  >  Neurothemis fluctuans 紅脈蝶蜻蛉

♂31mm
Cubital space has 2 cross vains

Neurothemis fluctuans 紅脈蝶蜻蛉
Found in China, Indonesia, India, Lao, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand

Neurothemis fluctuans is common in Bukit Gemok stream and the Dragonfly Pond near the junction to Tawau Hills Park.

The female Neurothemis fluctuans is light brown with transparent wings.

Male Neurothemis fluctuans and male Neurothemis ramburii can be easily confused. They often found together sharing the same stream and same pond.

IDENTIFYING THE DIFFERENT BETWEEN N. RAMBURII AND N. FLUCTUANS
Neurothemis fluctuans is smaller than Neurothemis ramburii. The quick identification to them is male Neurothemis fluctuans has white appendage while male Neurothemis ramburii is red appendage.

Neurothemis fluctuans is about 0.5 cm shorter than Neurothemis terminatata and Neurothemis ramburi. Abdomen mainly dark brown lacking well defined red marking.

Female with clear wings with wings hyaline with slight yellow tint at base.
Wild spread in tropical Asia.

Neurothemis fluctuans is a comparatively small species. The hindwing is 21 to 25 mm.
The border of the pigmented area on the hindwing curve back to meet the hind margin well before the level of the pterostigma.
The extent of this dark patch is variable, sometimes reaching the base of the pterostigma and sometimes extending to the distal end.
The wings of the female are unmarked.

It is exceedingly common in open, disturbed habitats and also ventures far from its breeding site. It breeds at least up to 1000 m and may be found much higher as a vagrant.

Female Neurothemis fluctuans 紅脈蝶蜻蛉

♀30mm

Wing venation of a female Neurothemis fluctuans ♀30.5mm 2007-06-20 MEROTAI

Wing venation of a female Neurothemis fluctuans ♀30mm 2023-07-23 FIG GARDEN

Wing venation of a male Neurothemis fluctuans ♂31mm 2016-09-26 PAPAYA GARDEN
 

Identification guide to the three common Neurothemis of Borneo

Neurothemis terminata	Neurothemis ramburii	Neurothemis fluctuans
Male : Bright Red Female : 1- Clear Wings and 2- Dark Wings	Male : Bright Red Female : 1- Clear Wings and 2- Dark Wings	Male : Dark Red Female : Clear Wings
Neurothemis terminata Matured 43mm	Neurothemis ramburii MALE	Neurothemis fluctuans Matured Male 31mm ♂
Neurothemis terminata FEMALE has two different type: Type 1 - Clear Wings Type 2 - Dark Wings	Neurothemis ramburii FEMALE has two different type: Type 1 - Clear Wings Type 2 - Dark Wings	Female Only 1 type Clear Wings The color of this dragonfly is light greenish yellow. The abdomen has three rows of black marks. The black marks at the top center of abdomen is connected from the base to the end of abdomen making it resemble a line. The size of this dragonfly is about 30mm +- long.
Neurothemis terminata	Neurothemis ramburii	Neurothemis fluctuans
N. terminata: 2 types: a) with colouration in the wings, similar to the male; b) with clear wings and dark wing tips.	N. ramburii: 2 types: a) with colouration in the wings, similar to the male; b) with clear wings and dark wing tips.	N. fluctuans: only 1 type: clear wings; without any colouration to the wings.
	Matured Male ♂ 41mm 2016-09-19 GEMOK Juvenile Male ♂ 38mm 2016-09-17 SG IMAM
Female ♀ 35mm 2016-02-29 BUKIT GEMOK	Female ♀ 34mm 2016-09-20 BUKIT GEMOK
	Matured Female ♀35mm 2007-06-30 MEROTAI Juvenile Female ♀ 37mm 2016-02-25 VOCATIONAL

Colour maturation of a male Neurothemis fluctuans

A comparison of a young and an old female Neurothemis fluctuans

A comparison of wing knots between Neurothemis fluctuans and N. terminada (all female)

A comparison of pattern of male and female Neurothemis fluctuans

Size a female Neurothemis fluctuans
Photo left is a life female Neurothemis fluctuans  enclosed in a clear PVC beg over graph sheet for size measurement.

Neurothemis fluctuans is a commonly found at the forest fringe, in secondary vegetation near water.
This one above was found beside a mountain stream near Bukit Gemok, Sabah on 1st October 2006

CHART OF DRAGONFLIES OF BORNEO

RELATED  TOPICS

INTRODUCTION TO THE DAMSELFLIES OF SABAH, BORNEO ISLAND

Insects of Borneo

Insects are  diverse and dominant inhabitants of the tropical rainforests in Borneo Island. New species are discovered too often. Entomologists are still struggling to cope with the documentation of tropical insect diversity.

Red Dragonfly of Sabah

Most of the common dragonflies in Sabah are red coloured, especially from the family Libellulidae.  Some red pecies are even confused as same species, for example the three species of Genus Neurothemis.

The compound eyes of dragonflies

Dragonflies and damselflies have large compound eyes that can see in all directions. When the compound eye is magnified several hundred times, each individual facet (ommatidium) is shown to be hexagonal in shape.

Ovipositor (Vulvar Lamina)
of Female Dragonflies and Damselflies

Female dragonflies have either one of the two method of depositing eggs from the abdomen:
1- using Ovipositor Structure
2- using Vulvar Lamina

Male do not have an ovipositor. Instead male dragonfly and damselfly have appendages.

Damselflies of Borneo