Neurothemis fluctuans 紅脈蝶蜻蛉

Neurothemis fluctuans 紅脈蝶蜻蛉
Found in China, Indonesia, India, Lao, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand
Genus : Neurothemis	Super-Family: LIBELLULOIDEA	Family: LIBELLULIDAE

Neurothemis fluctuans

♂31mm
2016-09-26 PAPAYA GARDEN

♀30.5mm
2007-06-20 MEROTAI

*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

	Matured Male ♂41mm 2016-09-19 GEMOK Juvenile Male ♂38mm 2016-09-17 SG IMAM
Female ♀35mm 2016-02-29 BUKIT GEMOK	Juvenile Female ♀37mm 2016-02-25 VOCATIONAL

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.

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.

MALE

FEMALE

Colour maturation of a male Neurothemis fluctuans (Fabricius, 1793)

A comparison of a young and an old female Neurothemis fluctuans

The different pattern of male 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

How big is a female Neurothemis fluctuans ?

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

See detail of size measurement of this female N. fluctuans

or click on the photo to enlarge

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.

Neurothemis fluctuans is a common yet beautiful species in Sabah. Found easily at the forest fringe, in secondary vegetation near water. This one I found beside a mountain stream near Bukit Gemok, Sabah on 1st October 2006

INDEX OF DRAGONFLY