10. Urothemis signata (Rambur, 1842)

Number: 10

Family: Libellulidae

Genus: Urothemis  

Species: Urothemis signata (Rambur, 1842) 

Common name: Greater crimson glider

Habitat: Lakes, ponds and bushes

Distribution: Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong 

Abundance: Common 

Flight Season: January - November


Urothemis signata (Rambur, 1842) is one of the common dragonflies of Bangladesh and widely distributed throughout the country.

                                                                   Male

The male is red in color, often seen perching on the shrubs associated to water bodies. Male can be distinguish from the similar species by the black legs and by the presence of discontinuous black dorsal black markings. 

I have also sighted a yellow colored male. However, whether the male is juvenile or it is another form I am not sure. I have sighted the male from the SUST campus on February 2015. The male were perching on the plants, top of the small hills.

The yellow male is similar to female, however they are devoid of the abdominal black ring. The legs are black, wings are transparent, amber spot in the hind wing base and black dorsal stripe in the segments 9-10 helps to distinguish from similar species. 

  

Female

The females are yellow colored with black rings in the abdomen. They are quiet similar to yellow male, hence terminal abdominal segments important to distinguish females from male.

Urothemis signata is a widely distributed species also known from Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.