
The Crimson Dropwing, Trithemis aurora
The Crimson Dropwing, Trithemis aurora, is a small but beautiful dragonfly. The eyes of the male are red and the thorax and abdomen are almost luminous pink. The base of the hindwing is tinted amber brown and the wing veins are red. The wing spots are a dark reddish-brown and the legs are black. Shot at my pond at home.

Female Trithemis aurora.
Commonly known as dropwings, they usually drop their wings on landing. At the Singapore Botanic Garden’s marshland pond. The female has an olivaceous or bright reddish- brown face with eyes that are purplish-brown above and grey below.

Variegated Green Skimmer (Orthetrum sabina)
The Variegated Green Skimmer (Orthetrum sabina) would be readily encountered in most ponds and small lakes around Singapore. The eyes are pale green and the body is marked with a distinctive pattern of pale yellowish green.

Taken at the Singapore Botanical Gardens. The Common Parasol. ( Neurothemis fluctuans). Adult Male. Supposedly the most common dragonfly here. Picture shot with natural light.

Sapphire Flutterer, (Rhyothemis triangularis)
The Sapphire Flutterer, (Rhyothemis triangularis). The eyes are reddish brown on top and dark brown below. The thorax and abdomen are dark metallic blue. The wing bases have broad and distinctive deep purplish blue patches which on the male are brighter purplish-blue, and those on the female are darker in colour.

Yellow-barred flutterer (Rhyothemis phyllis)
The Yellow-barred flutterer (Rhyothemis phyllis). Males and females are similar, eyes reddish brown on top and light brown below. The thorax and abdomen are dark, slightly metallic, almost black. The base of the hind wing has a distinctive pattern of yellow, dark brown and deep metallic blue.

Common Blue Skimmer.Orthetrum glaucoma. The male has greenish blue eyes, a dark blue thorax, light blue abdomen with the last two segments darkened. There’s a small dark patch at the hindwing base. In males and females, the blue pruinescence develops as the dragonfly ages. Taken at home.

Brachydiplax chalybea
Males have a powdery blue thorax and abdomen. The last three abdominal segments are dark. The side of the thorax of the male is light brown. The base of the hindwing has a yellow tint.

Common Scarlet (Crocothemis servilia)
There’s a dark line along the abdomen, and the eyes are red. The species loves the sun and often perches on the tips of plants to bask in the sun’s warmth. This male is red from head to tail. Photo taken at Singapore Botanical Gardens.

The Crimson Dropwing( Trithemis aurora)
When this dragonfly persistently landed on the tip of my car antenna, I waited a few inches away from the antenna, camera in position, and true to habit, he came down and landed a few inches away from the camera lens for me to take the shot!

Spine-tufted Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysis)
Common in ponds and along streams and is widespread in tropical Asia. The thorax is dark brown and the abdomen is red. The female is reddish brown. Has dark eyes and red face.

Crocothemis servilia. Common Scarlet.
Female, golden yellow in color, with a dark line along the abdomen not visible from this angle. A very common species found widespread throughout Singapore.
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