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Sticker of Asian sapphire flutterer
Bug card No. 0183 of 4,939

Asian sapphire flutterer

Rhyothemis triangularis
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsDragonflies and damselfliesPonds, rivers and shores6 legs

The Asian sapphire flutterer is a small blue dragonfly from Asia. At the base of each of its four wings is a dark patch that shines metallic blue, like a sapphire gemstone. It likes ponds full of plants.

Lives in
Eastern and southern Asia, including India and Sri Lanka, near ponds
Top speed
about 40 km/h (25 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Dragonflies and damselflies have no sting, so just watch it fly.
What does it eat?
It catches flying insects in the air. Its young live under water and hunt small water animals.
For real!Photo of Asian sapphire flutterer
Picture by Vengolis. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

It lays its eggs in ponds and similar places with lots of water plants.

2

Scientists have counted its chromosomes, the tiny instruction packs inside its cells. It has 13.

3

It lives in many parts of Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to the east of the continent.

you asked

Most asked questions about Asian sapphire flutterer

?Where does the Asian sapphire flutterer live?

In eastern and southern Asia, including India and Sri Lanka.

?Is the Asian sapphire flutterer dangerous?

No. Dragonflies have no sting and are harmless to people.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Rhyothemis triangularis
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Libellulidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Libellulidae
Lives on
Asia
Also known as
Sapphire flutterer, Lesser blue wing

Where the facts come from

  1. Rhyothemis triangularis (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Vengolis. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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