Variable sentinel
Males of this small forest dragonfly can appear in five different colour forms and females in at least three, so individuals of one species often look unrelated.
| Where | Shaded trails in lowland forest |
|---|---|
| Size | 28 to 35 mm body length |
| When | January to December |
The Variable sentinel is a small Libellulidae with an unusually inconsistent colour scheme: males may be red, orange, yellowish brown or dark bodied, and its yellowish brown thorax separates it from similarly sized red dragonflies with darker thoraxes.
Red form males are the most frequently seen, perching along shaded trails in lowland forest, and the species has been recorded from Singapore, Cambodia and other parts of Southeast Asia.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Red, Orange, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Not known to bother people; like other dragonflies it hunts small flying insects rather than approaching humans.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has a dark thorax, while the Variable sentinel's thorax is yellowish brown to orange.
Questions
Is the Variable sentinel dangerous to people?
Not known to bother people; like other dragonflies it hunts small flying insects rather than approaching humans.
When can you see the Variable sentinel?
The Variable sentinel can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Cheongweei Gan, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
Report a mistake in this entry
Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Orchithemis
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.