Rhyothemis variegata

Rhyothemis variegata is a medium-sized dark bodied dragonfly with colorful wings tinted with pale yellow. There are a few black spots on the apices and nodes of the fore-wings. There is a large patch in the base of the hind-wings, marked with black and golden yellow. In females, the apical half of the fore-wings are transparent; basal half tinted with golden-yellow with black marks. The apical ends of the hind-wings are transparent; rest of wings marked with golden-yellow and black. It breeds in marshes, ponds and paddy fields. They appear to have weak flight and can easily be mistaken for butterflies. == Taxonomy ==

The species Rhyothemis variegata was first described in 1763 in Centuria insectorum rariorum, a work associated with Carl Linnaeus. The authorship of this publication may be uncertain, as it was produced in connection with Linnaeus’ student Boas Johansson, and some sources have attributed authorship differently. However, the name is generally credited to Linnaeus. A closely related species, Rhyothemis phyllis, described by Johann Heinrich Sulzer in 1776, was long treated as separate. A 2025 study found that the differences between these two names fall within the normal variation of a single species. As a result, Rhyothemis phyllis is now regarded as a synonym of Rhyothemis variegata, which has priority as the older name. ==Image gallery==

Rhyothemis variegata variegated flutterer vijayanrajapuram 03.jpg|Male, Kottayam, Kerala, India Rhyothemis Variegata-female.jpg |Female Rhyothemis phyllis 2845.jpg |Male, Darwin, Australia A Dragon Fly taking a break (551290440).jpg |Female Yellow-barred flutterer (Rhyothemis phyllis phyllis) S.jpg|Male Rhiothemis phylis.jpg|Female Rhyothemis phyllis 9311.jpg|Male adopting an obelisk posture Rhyothemis phyllis face (34146412630).jpg|Male face Rhyothemis phyllis lateral wings down (34146409190).jpg|Wings up - wings down Rhyothemis phyllis bum (33689157554).jpg|From behind Rhyothemis phyllis lateral (34490601896).jpg|Side view Rhyothemis phyllis teneral.jpg|Male teneral, recently emerged Rhyothemis phyllis female wings (34252003733).jpg|Female wings Rhyothemis phyllis male wings (34252008133).jpg|Male wings ==See also==