Dragonflies

Suborder Anisoptera

Family Aeshnidae
Emperor Anax guttatus	Arrow Emperor Anax panybeus	Spoon-tailed Duskhawker Gynacantha basiguttata	Small Duskhawker Gynacantha bayadera
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Spear-tail Duskhawker Gynacantha dohrni	Dingy Duskhawker Gynacantha subinterrupta	Nighthawker Heliaeschna crassa	Lesser Nighthawker Heliaeschna uninervulata
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Paddletail Oligoaeschna amata	Leaftail Oligoaeschna foliacea	Giant Hawker Tetracanthagyna plagiata
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Family Gomphidae
Malayan Hooktail Acrogomphus malayanus	Arthur's Clubtail Burmagomphus arthuri	Splayed Clubtail Burmagomphus divaricatus	Lesser Splayed Clubtail Burmagomphus plagiatus
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Malayan Grappletail Heliogomphus kelantanensis	Common Flangetail Ictinogomphus decoratus	Ris’ Clubtail Leptogomphus risi	Forktail Macrogomphus quadratus
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Malayan Spineleg Merogomphus femoralis	Tiny Sheartail Microgomphus chelifer	Banded Hooktail Paragomphus capricornis
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Family Macromiidae
Pond Cruiser Epophthalmia vittigera	Stream Cruiser Macromia cincta	Lesser Stream Cruiser Macromia cydippe
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Family Corduliidae
Emerald Hemicordulia tenera	Shadow Dancer Idionyx yolanda
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Family Libellulidae
Trumpet Tail Acisoma panorpoides	Blue Adjudant Aethriamanta aethra	Scarlet Adjudant Aethriamanta brevipennis	Pond Adjutant Aethriamanta gracilis
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Grenadier Agrionoptera insignis	Handsome Grenadier Agrionoptera sexlineata	Blue Dasher Brachydiplax chalybea	Black-tailed Dasher Brachydiplax farinosa
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Pixie Brachygonia oculata	Common Amberwing Brachythemis contaminata	Sultan Camacinia gigantea	Green-eyed Percher Chalybeothemis fluviatilis
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Lined Forest-skimmer Cratilla lineata	Dark-tipped Forest-skimmer Cratilla metallica	Common Scarlet Crocothemis servilia	Black-tipped Percher Diplacodes nebulosa
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Blue Percher Diplacodes trivialis	Water Monarch Hydrobasileus croceus	White-tipped Demon Indothemis carnatica	Restless Demon Indothemis limbata
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Scarlet Grenadier Lathrecista asiatica	Bombardier Lyriothemis cleis	Coastal Glider Macrodiplax cora	Scarlet Pygmy Nannophya pygmaea
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Striped Grenadier Nesoxenia lineata	Rare Parasol Neurothemis disparilis	Common Parasol Neurothemis fluctuans	Riverhawk Onychothemis testacea
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Blue Sentinel  Orchithemis pruinans	Variable Sentinel Orchithemis pulcherrima	Spine-tufted Skimmer Orthetrum chrysis	Common Blue Skimmer Orthetrum glaucum
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Slender Blue Skimmer Orthetrum luzonicum	Variegated Green Skimmer Orthetrum sabina	Scarlet Skimmer  Orthetrum testaceum	Wandering Glider  Pantala flavescens
Mangrove Marshal Pornothemis starrei	Common Chaser Potamarcha congener	Banded Skimmer Pseudothemis jorina	Mangrove Dwarf Raphismia bispina
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Common Redbolt Rhodothemis rufa	Bronze Flutterer Rhyothemis obsolescens	Yellow-barred Flutterer Rhyothemis phyllis	Small Bronze Flutterer Rhyothemis pygmaeus
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Sapphire Flutterer Rhyothemis triangularis	Potbellied Elf  Risiophlebia dohrni	Elf  Tetrathemis irregularis	White-barred Duskhawk Tholymis tillarga
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Saddlebag Glider  Tramea transmarina	Crimson Dropwing  Trithemis aurora	Indigo Dropwing  Trithemis festiva	Dancing Dropwing  Trithemis pallidinervis
Treehugger  Tyriobapta torrida	Scarlet Basker  Urothemis signata	White Duskdarter  Zyxomma obtusum	Slender Duskdarter  Zyxomma petiolatum
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Spear-tail Duskhawker (Gynacantha dohrni)

This a large dragonfly about 6-7 cm long. Male bright green, while female is dark.

Male ©Eddy Lee

Common Flangetail (Ictinogomphus decoratus)

Sexes similar.

Bishan Park ©Eddy Lee

Jurong Lake ©Lau SY. Lower Peirce ©Melvin Dionio

Pond Cruiser (Epophthalmia vittigera)

This is a large dragonfly about 7-8 cm long. Sexes similar.

Female at Sungei Buloh ©Tan KH

Trumpet Tail (Acisoma panorpoides)

Also called Asian or Grizzled Pintail. Male is blue, while female is green.

Pair at Chestnut Area ©Eddy Lee

Pond Adjutant (Aethriamanta gracilis)

Sexes similar, but female has brown markings. Can be confused with blue dasher.

Pair at Chestnut Area ©Eddy Lee

Grenadier (Agrionoptera insignis)

Male has red abdomen. Female are generally dark in colour, but some can have red abdomen as well.

Males ©Eddy Lee

Handsome Grenadier (Agrionoptera sexlineata)

Male has less red on the abdomen than the Grenadier. Female are generally duller, but some can have orange on the abdomen.

Male at Chestnut Trail ©Eddy Lee

Blue Dasher (Brachydiplax chalybea)

Male looks like Pond Adjutant, but female is brown in colour.

Pair at Kent Ridge Park ©Eddy Lee. Botanic Gardens ©Sylvia Chua

Common Amberwing (Potamarcha congener)

So called for the bright amber colour of the male. This includes the wings, especially the middle third. Female is duller and has clearer wings. Also known as Ditch Jewel. Can be confused with female Common Scarlet and Common Parasol.

Male at Sungei Buloh ©Tan KH

Male (left) and female (right) at Bukit Batok Nature Park ©Melvin Dionio

Green-eyed Percher (Chalybeothemis fluviatilis)

So called for the green eyes. Male is blue,while female is duller.

Pair ©Lau SY

Dark-tipped Forest-skimmer (Cratilla metallica)

This is a brilliant blue dragonfly with black wing tips and yellow eyes.

Central Catchment. Chestnut Trail ©Eddy Lee

Common Scarlet (Crocothemis servilia)

So called because the male is scarlet all over, including base of wings. Female is orange. They have a black stripe down the abdomen and the wings are mostly clear. Can be confused with female Common Amberwing and Common Parasol.

Male ©Lau SY. at Punggol Waterway Park ©Tan KH

Female at Neo Tiew Harvest Lane ©Tan KH

Female: Neo Tiew Lane 2 ©Tan KH. Jurong Lake ©Melvin Dionio

Black-tipped Percher (Diplacodes nebulosa)

Male is blue with dark wing tips, while female is yellow-and-black without dark wing tips.

Pair at Chestnut Area ©Eddy Lee

Male (left) and female (right) ©Eddy Lee

Blue Percher (Diplacodes trivialis)

Male is blue with clear wings, while female is yellow-and-black with less black markings than female Black-tipped Percher.

Female at Neo Tiew Lane 2 ©Tan KH

Water Monarch (Hydrobasileus croceus)

It has a distinctive brown pattern at the wing base. Sexes similar. The body is yellowish-brownish.

Male at Rifle Range ©Eddy Lee

Coastal Glider (Macrodiplax cora)

Also called Wandering Pennant. Male looks like male Common Scarlet, but the top of the eye is red and the bottom dark. Female is yellow with the top of the eye red and bottom pale.

©Tan KH

Scarlet Pygmy (Nannophya pygmaea)

Also called Scarlet Dwarf. So called for the red body of the male. Female has dark and pale bands on body. Immature male appears yellowish.

Pair at Chestnut Area ©Eddy Lee

Female (left) and immature male (right) ©Eddy Lee

Common Parasol (Neurothemis fluctuans)

Male is all red except for clear wing tips. Female is yellowish and has clear wings. Immature male looks like female but has orangey wings. Can be confused with female Common Amberwing and Common Scarlet.

Pair (left) and immature male (right) ©Eddy Lee

Male (left) and female (right) ©Eddy Lee

Male ©Melvin Dionio. Immature male ©Sylvia Chua. Both at Botanic Gardens.

Male (left) and female (right) ©Tan GC

Spine-tufted Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysis)

Male red face, bluish eyes, dark thorax, red abdomen and clear wings. Female is duller, but some can have reddish abdomen too. Similar to Scarlet Skimmer, but the thorax is darker and there is a tuft of hair on the underside of the second abdomen segment.

Male at Bukit Batok Nature Park ©Tan KH. Male ©Lau SY

Common Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum glaucum)

Male is pale blue with dark eyes. Female is blue with yellow stripes. Immature is yellow and brown.

Male at Telok Blangah. Immature male at Hindhede ©Tan KH

Immature female ©Eddy Lee

Slender Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum luzonicum)

Male is pale blue with bright blue eyes. Female is duller blue with duller eyes. Immature male is blue with yellow and black markings. Immature female is yellow and brown.

Male at Admiralty Park ©Tan KH. Immature male with tick at Chestnut Trail ©Eddy Lee

Variegated Green Skimmer (Orthetrum sabina)

Sexes similar, but male has a slimmer abdomen and the appendages are closer together.

Pair at Chestnut Area ©Eddy Lee

Feeding on dragonfly ©Melvin Dionio. Sentosa ©Sylvia Chua

Presumed male. Presumed female feeding on dragonfly at Neo Tiew Lane 2 ©Lau SY

Scarlet Skimmer (Orthetrum testaceum)

So called for the scarlet colour of the male. Female is olive to reddish. Similar to Spine-tufted Skimmer, but the thorax is less dark and it lacks a tuft of hair on the underside of the second abdomen segment.

Pair (left), male (right) feeding on bee at Bukit Panjang ©Eddy Lee

Male ©Melvin Dionio. Male at Botanic Gardens ©Sylvia Chua

Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens)

So called because they wander far and wide, being the most widespread dragonflies. Male is reddish, while female is golden.

Male at Woodlands ©Tan KH

Female at Chestnut Ave ©Eddy Lee

Female at Sengkang and Woodlands ©Tan KH

Common Chaser (Potamarcha congener)

The male has a blue thorax, while the female has yellow stripes on her thorax instead.

Male at Sungei Buloh. Female at Pasir Ris Park ©Tan KH

Banded Skimmer (Pseudothemis jorina)

So called for the distinctive white segments 1 to 3, which is yellowish when immature.

Sungei Buloh ©Eddy Lee

Common Redbolt (Rhodothemis rufa)

So called for the all red appearance of the male, except for the black legs and clear wings. Female is brownish with a long pale stripe down the back.

Sungei Buloh ©Sylvia Chua and ©Tan KH

Bronze Flutterer (Rhyothemis obsolescens)

So called due to the bronze pattern of the wings. Sexes similar.

Left: Pair at Chestnut Area. Right: Male ©Eddy Lee

Yellow-barred Flutterer (Rhyothemis phyllis)

A distinct dragonfly with the yellow and black patches on the wings. Sexes similar.

Pair at Chestnut Area. Male ©Eddy Lee

Female at Jurong Lake ©Melvin Dionio. Male at Sungei Buloh ©Lau SY

Sapphire Flutterer (Rhyothemis triangularis)

So called for the sapphire colour of the body and wing base, which makes it a distinctive dragonfly. Sexes similar.

Male (left), female (right) at Chestnut Ave ©Eddy Lee

White-barred Duskhawk (Tholymis tillarga)

So called for the white mark on each hind wing, which also has a dark mark. Also called Coral-tailed Cloudwing. Male is red, while female is brown. Immature male looks like female, and both lacks the distinctive wing pattern.

Male at Upper Peirce ©Eddy Lee

Saddlebag Glider (Tramea transmarina)

Male has rich brown thorax, red abdomen and black on last few segments and long appendages. Female is brown. Immature male is similar to female.

©Eddy Lee

Crimson Dropwing (Trithemis aurora)

Male is reddish-purplish, including the wing. Female is yellowish with black markings on body and yellow wing base. Immature male is similar to female with less black markings.

Male at Venus Drive. Female at Upper Peirce ©Eddy Lee

Male (left) and female (right) at Botanic Garden ©Sylvia Chua

Indigo Dropwing (Trithemis festiva)

The male is blue with yellow dorsal markings on dark abdomen, while female is yellow instead of blue.

Male at Chestnut Area. Female at Upper Peirce ©Eddy Lee

Dancing Dropwing (Trithemis pallidinervis)

The male is black-and-yellow with clear wing with orange base, and big red patch on blue eyes.

Male at Seletar West ©Tan Kok Hui

Treehugger (Tyriobapta torrida)

So called because it perches on tree trunk. The male is a distinctive blue dragonfly with large dark patch on base of hind wings. Female lacks the wing patch and has pale and dark body markings.

Male at Venus Drive ©Eddy Lee

Scarlet Basker (Urothemis signata)

It has black dorsal markings on segments 8 and 9, and the eyes are red on top. Sexes similar. They can be yellow to red.

Pair at Bishan Park ©Eddy Lee. Male ©Sylvia Chua