Ditch jewel
Male Ditch jewels change from pale yellow green to deep orange red as they age, while females keep a washed out colour for life.
| Where | Ponds, ditches and slow streams |
|---|---|
| Size | 18 to 21 mm abdomen length |
| When | April to November |
The Ditch jewel is a small dragonfly. Mature males have a bright orange band across the base of each transparent wing and an orange red abdomen marked with fine brown stripes, while females stay pale olive green with only a faint yellow tint at the wing bases.
It breeds in slow moving, often nutrient rich water such as weedy ponds, ditches and sewage canals, and is one of the most tolerant dragonflies of polluted water across its range. Adults perch low over the water on waterside plants and bare mud.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Orange, Brown, Green
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; does not bite or sting.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Its wings are mostly brownish red with an arched clear band near the hind margin, far more extensive than the narrow orange patch at the base of the Ditch jewel's wing.
Questions
Is the Ditch jewel dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; does not bite or sting.
When can you see the Ditch jewel?
The Ditch jewel can be seen from April to November, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Sagnik Dutta Roy, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Brachythemis
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.