Brown-backed Red Marsh Hawk Orthetrum chrysis

Photo of Brown-backed Red Marsh Hawk (Orthetrum chrysis)

(c) Afsar Nayakkan, some rights reserved (CC BY)

OrderDragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata)
FamilySkimmers (Libellulidae)
GenusOrthetrum (Orthetrum)

This dragonfly earns the nickname "hawk" for its precise aerial hunting skills and aggressive predatory nature. The spine-tufted skimmer combines a brown back with striking red coloring, making it unmistakable across Asian wetlands and marshes. These aerial acrobats are widespread throughout many Asian countries, hunting with the speed and agility their hawk-inspired common name suggests.

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