John&Jacq~s Garden

Orthetrum sabina, a slender-bodied chartreuse dragonfly

Orthetrum sabina sabina (Slender/Green Skimmer, Green Marsh Hawk)

What a wonderful coincidence! While googling for the identity of my red dragonfly, I came across the ID for this beautiful chartreuse one that I captured in April this year! My very first capture of a dragonfly in our frontyard garden.

I can clearly recall its apparent collaboration during my photo session where it just stayed still for some moments wherever it perched, long enough for me to focus and shoot! It first settled on the leaf of Strelitzia reginae (Crane Flower) and then brilliantly move on to rest on the variegated leaf of Arrowhead Croton, the perfect camouflage! Amazing…I managed to get 7 lovely shots altogether! :D

This Slender Skimmer is another gorgeous Orthetrum species which is quite common and widespread! It is dressed in pale greenish yellow with contrasting black stripes on its thorax. These fabulous colors continue right down to the first 3 spherical segments of the abdomen which then changes dramatically to black and white throughout the rest of the abdominal length. As dramatic too is the sudden tapering of its abdomen at mid-section (4-6 segments) which then expand at the 7-10 segments! What beautiful colors, pattern and formation! Male and female of this species are similar in appearance.

More pictures, if you’re interested! Enjoy! :)

Taxonomy:

• Scientific name: Orthetrum sabina sabina (Drury, 1770)
• Common name: Slender Skimmer, Green Skimmer, Green Marsh Hawk
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthropoda
• Class: Insecta
• Order: Odonata
• Suborder: Anisoptera
• Family: Libellulidae
• Genus: Orthetrum
• Species: O. sabina sabina (Drury, 1770)

Habitat: Open habitat around rivers, shallow lakes and ponds, marshes and gardens.

Location: Found in Asian countries of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Philippines. Also found in parts of Australia, Middle East and Northern Africa.

Last edited: May 29, 2016

Tags: dragonflies/damselflies, our garden, wildlife