Rhyothemis braganza facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rhyothemis braganza
Female Iridescent flutterer, Darwin NT
Male, Darwin NT
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Synonyms
Rhyothemis alcestic Tillyard, 1906

The Iridescent Flutterer (scientific name: Rhyothemis braganza) is a type of dragonfly. It belongs to the Libellulidae family, which is a large group of dragonflies often called "skimmers." These beautiful insects are known for their colorful wings and interesting flight patterns.

Where Iridescent Flutterers Live

The Iridescent Flutterer is found in Australia. You can spot them along the coast in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and northern Western Australia. They like to live near water, such as streams, rivers, and small pools next to rivers.

The group of dragonflies called Rhyothemis is quite widespread. These dragonflies live in many places, from Africa all the way to the western Pacific Ocean. Australia is home to five different species from this group.

What They Look Like

The Iridescent Flutterer is a medium-sized dragonfly. Its wingspan, which is the distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other, can be between 60 and 85 millimeters. That's about the length of a typical pencil!

Adult Iridescent Flutterers have dark markings on both their front and back wings. These dark spots are about the same size on all their wings. A good way to tell them apart from a similar dragonfly, the Rhyothemis resplendens, is that the Iridescent Flutterer does not have pale spots within these dark markings.

Conservation Status

The Iridescent Flutterer has been studied by experts for the IUCN Red List. This list helps us understand how safe different animal species are. The Iridescent Flutterer is listed as "Least Concern". This means that, for now, there are plenty of them, and they are not in danger of disappearing.

Gallery

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  Close-up of a female Iridescent Flutterer's wings.

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  Close-up of a male Iridescent Flutterer's wings.