Platycnemis phyllopoda
Males of this damselfly carry broad, leaf like white flags on the middle and hind legs, flicked open and shut to attract the plain, pinkish brown females.
| Where | Streams and ponds, East Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | 30 to 34 mm body length |
| When | February and April to September |
Males of this damselfly have black and white bodies with broad, leaf like white expansions on the middle and hind tibiae, while females are plain pinkish brown without any leg expansions.
Adults fly along streams, ponds and other still or slowly moving water from late spring into autumn, and males display their white leg flags to rival males and to females during courtship.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Black, White, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Does not bite or sting; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Its white leaf like tibiae are even broader and more expanded than in this species, and it lives in forests of Laos and southern China rather than further north and east.
Questions
Is Platycnemis phyllopoda dangerous to people?
Does not bite or sting; harmless to people.
When can you see Platycnemis phyllopoda?
Platycnemis phyllopoda can be seen from February and April to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Oleg Kosterin, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Featherleg damselflies›Platycnemis
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.