Oriental blue dasher
Mature males of this dragonfly turn a powdery blue all over, while females keep a brownish yellow colour their whole lives, a striking split by sex.
| Where | Ponds, marshes and lotus-covered pools |
|---|---|
| Size | 33 to 35 mm body length |
| When | January to December |
The Oriental Blue Dasher is a small dragonfly with males powder blue on the thorax and abdomen, light brown sides, a dark abdomen tip and a faint yellow tint at the base of the wings. Females are brownish yellow with darker markings along the back of the abdomen.
It breeds in ponds, marshes and slow-moving stretches of river, including garden ponds thick with water lilies or lotus, and males are most active through the morning and early afternoon.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Blue, Brown, Yellow
Active
Day
To people
Common at garden ponds; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Wings are clear at the base with no amber or yellow tint, unlike the tinted wing bases of the Oriental Blue Dasher, and mature males turn a more uniform pruinose blue all over.
Questions
Is the Oriental blue dasher dangerous to people?
Common at garden ponds; harmless to people.
When can you see the Oriental blue dasher?
The Oriental blue dasher can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by renjus box, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Brachydiplax
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.