Swampwatcher
As the Swampwatcher matures, its thorax and first four abdominal segments turn chalky bluish black, while the last two segments stay solid black with no pale marks.
| Where | Ponds, rice fields and marshes |
|---|---|
| Size | 29 to 32 mm abdomen length |
| When | January to December |
The Swampwatcher is a medium sized dragonfly. Mature males have a bluish black pruinose thorax and first four abdominal segments, with the rest of the abdomen black marked with dull orange and the last two segments entirely black; females instead have yellow and black striped sides to the thorax.
It breeds in still water such as weedy ponds, water-filled ruts and wet rice fields, and females carry small flanges on the eighth abdominal segment that are used while laying eggs at the water's edge.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Blue, Black, Yellow
Active
Day
To people
Often perches in the open at pond edges; safe to observe or photograph.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Keeps a greenish yellow thorax with black stripes throughout its life, never developing the plain bluish black pruinescence that covers the thorax and forward abdomen of a mature male Swampwatcher.
Questions
Is the Swampwatcher dangerous to people?
Often perches in the open at pond edges; safe to observe or photograph.
When can you see the Swampwatcher?
The Swampwatcher can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Wildan R. Ardani, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Potamarcha
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.