Orthetrum villosovittatum - Fiery Skimmer

Male identification: Bright red flattened abdomen pinched in the middle. Dark thorax and eyes. Red face.

Female identification: Orange flattened abdomen, practically unmarked with just very fine lattice markings. Flat top of thorax wholly pale, contrasting with dark sides. Distinct pale rectangle between wings. Dark eyes. Dark orange face.

Similar species: Female superficially similar to Diplacodes but without any spotting. Male could be confused with D. haematodes which differs by smaller size and bright red eyes and face. Similarly, N. dalei is tiny in comparison.

Behaviour: Fast-flying, usually very low over water or bare ground. Readily perch on branches, logs, sandy paths or margins of waterbodies.

Distribution: Recorded in lowland areas of far northeast Victoria around Beechworth.

Australian State distribution (from CSIRO Entomology)

Habitat: Boggy swamps, open pools and slow-flowing shallow streams

Status: Uncommon and localised

Flight period: Recorded once in February