# Oriental Blue Dasher

*Brachydiplax chalybea*

The striking blue color on the male's abdomen is a waxy coating called pruinescence that develops as the dragonfly reaches maturity.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Odonata › Libellulidae › Brachydiplax
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Stagnant or slow-moving freshwater bodies including ponds, marshes, and urban garden drains.
- **Diet:** Carnivorous; primarily hunts small flying insects such as mosquitoes, gnats, and midges.
- **Range:** India, Southeast Asia, Southern China, Japan, Indonesia
- **Size:** Wingspan of 33-40mm; total body length approximately 35mm.
- **Lifespan:** 1 to 2 months as a flying adult; up to 1 year including the aquatic larval stage.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Degradation of freshwater quality, urban sprawl, and the loss of aquatic vegetation.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to humans. These dragonflies are beneficial as they consume large quantities of mosquitoes. Avoid handling them as their wings are extremely fragile; observe their perching behavior from a distance of 1-2 meters.

## About

Brachydiplax chalybea is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is known by the common names yellow-patched lieutenant , rufous-backed marsh hawk , and blue dasher . It is native to much of eastern Asia, from India to Japan to Indonesia. It is common and widespread.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5992f686-a6eb-41cf-9193-262224af4862
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/95964
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachydiplax chalybea
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/38489483/medium.jpg (desertnaturalist, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.