Brown-backed Red Marsh Hawk
Orthetrum chrysis
As males mature, they undergo a striking color transformation, developing a brilliant red abdomen and a warm brown thorax to signal dominance.
- Scientific name
- Orthetrum chrysis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Odonata › Libellulidae › Orthetrum
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, sluggish streams, paddy fields, and waterlogged ditches.
- Diet
- Flying insects, including mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and smaller damselflies.
- Range
- India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Southern China
- Size
- Wingspan of 60-75 mm; body length of 40-45 mm.
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 months as a flying adult; up to 1 year as an aquatic nymph.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland reclamation, water pollution from agricultural runoff, and pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These dragonflies pose no danger to humans and cannot sting. You can safely observe them from any distance. If one lands on you, enjoy the close encounter. In the highly unlikely event of a pinch from its mandibles due to rough handling, simply wash the skin with soap and water.
The Spine-tufted skimmer , or Crimson-tailed marsh Hawk , brown-backed red marsh hawk , ( Orthetrum chrysis ) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is widespread in many Asian countries.
Photo: sunnyjosef, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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