Image: Tri-coloured Marsh Hawk Orthetrum luzonicum Female by kadavoor

Description: Orthetrum luzonicum, Tricolored Marsh Hawk, is a medium sized dragonfly with blue, yellow and brown markings. Eyes are bluish green with violet or brownish spots. Thorax is pale olivaceous green with brown lateral stripes. Dorsal side has a distinct yellow "Y" shaped mark. In older individuals, brown and yellow markings may be totally replaced by pale blue pruinescence. They look alike Orthetrum glaucum and Orthetrum triangulare. However, the eyes of Orthetrum luzonicum are a vivid blue/green colour and of Orthetrum glaucum eyes are dull in comparison. The male's thorax and abdomen are bright powdery blue and S9-10 can be black, though there are specimens where this turns blue too. The males also have slight yellow/black markings on the abdomen, which seem slightly variable depending on age. Like the male, the female becomes pruinosed. The thoracic markings are different and the eyes are similar in colour to that of the male, making it easily identifiable. Taken at Kadavoor, Kerala, India.
Title: Tri-coloured Marsh Hawk Orthetrum luzonicum Female by kadavoor
Credit: Own work
Author: Jeevan Jose
Permission: I, Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publishes it under the following license:
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