Bronze Flutterer

Appearance

Males and females are almost identical. In males, the hindwing is 21 to 23 mm in length and the total body length ranges from 24 to 28 mm. The eyes are reddish brown on top and light brown below. the thorax and abdomen are black. The wings are opaque iridescent bronze with a tinge of magneta and variegated light and dark markings. In females, the wings have clear (hyaline) portions near the wing tips.

Naming

Synonym(s):
Rhyothemis curiosa Selys, 1889
Rhyothemis transversa Selys, 1889

Distribution

Brunei Darussalam; China (Hainan); Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatera); Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak); Myanmar (Myanmar (mainland)); Philippines; Singapore; Thailand; Viet Nam

Behavior

The flight of Rhyothemis obsolescens is weak and slow. It perches with depressed wings.

Habitat

This species is found in marshes, swamps, well-vegetated ponds and slow flowing rivers. It appears to require at least some forest in the vicinity of its habitats, but is tolerant of disturbance. It is most common in the lowlands, but it has been found it at over 1,000 m in Borneo (R. Dow pers. comm. 2010).