Copera marginipes (Rambur, 1842)

Family: Platycnemididae
Scientific Name: Copera marginipes
Common Name: Yellow Featherlegs

Yellow Featherlegs is a fairly common damselfly which inhibit small streams, sluggish and often muddy channels, swamps around forest edges. In Singapore, I have encounter this species at Chestnut forest, and the forest around Mandai and Kranji.

This species is easily recognizable. Male has dark thorax with yellow streaks. The legs are yellow and flatten and the last two abdominal segments including the anal appendages are white.

Female has duller white or yellow streaks and abdomens are black.

Both immature male and female have white bodies and they are called – the “Ghost Form”.

A mating couple. Near a forest stream in Mandai.

An adult male. Notice the yellow streaks on it’s thorax and yellow legs.

A fairly young adult male. Some abdominal segments are still whitish.

Another male. Notice the white abdominal segments.

Young immature “ghost form”male.

Another immature “ghost from”male.

The duller adult female. This individual has it’s abdominal tips whitish.

Another female.

A third female. This looks like a younger specimen.

A “ghost form”female.

Another couple in tandem.

An unfortunate male. Dead in the hands of a Robberfly.

Rhyothemis phyllis (Sulzer, 1776)

Family: Libellulidae
Scientific Name: Rhyothemis phyllis
Common Name: Yellow-Barred Flutterer

Yellow-Barred Flutterer is a very widespread and common dragonfly in Singapore, and other South East Asia regions. It is commonly found at marshy swampland, ponds, reservoirs, and open grasslands.

This species is unmistakeable. Males and females look similar. The thorax and abdomen are dark, and the hindwing base has a very distinctive barred yellow and dark brown pattern.

A few years ago,  I have often seen this species flying in swarms especially at the vicinity of Bukit Timah Nature Reserves, but this scene is more and more uncommon nowadays. They are sun-loving species and it is a sight to see them gather in swarms, gliding in the air and feeding small insects.

Male – dorsal view

Male – side view

Female – dorsal view

Female – side view

A mating pair in action

Agrionoptera insignis (Rambur, 1842)

Family: Libellulidae
Scientific Name: Agrionoptera insignis
Common Name: Grenadier

This Libellulidae species is quite common in the nature reserves and other forested areas of Singapore.

The male has thin red abdomen, slightly robust, with mottled yellow marking on the thorax. The female is similar but duller yellow markings.

Female

A mating pair

I also suspect a similar but darker species is of the same species as this, shown below.

Very dark pruinescence but same species?