Common picture wing
The common picture wing is a dragonfly with a dark body and wings painted in golden yellow and black. It looks as if someone coloured in its wings. It flutters slowly, so people often think it is a butterfly.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
It is easy to mix it up with a butterfly because of its colourful wings and gentle flight.
The males and females have slightly different wing patterns. Parts of the female's wings are clear.
It lays its eggs in marshes, ponds and even rice fields.
Its name variegata means many-coloured, because of its wings.
Most asked questions about Common picture wing
?Is the common picture wing a butterfly?
No, it is a dragonfly. It only flutters like a butterfly.
?Where does the common picture wing live?
In warm parts of Asia, Australia and Pacific islands, near ponds, marshes and rice fields.
?Can a dragonfly sting you?
No. The common picture wing is harmless to people.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Rhyothemis variegata
- Named by
- Linnaeus, 1763
- Group
- Dragonflies and damselflies
- Family
- Libellulidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Odonata > Libellulidae
- Lives on
- Asia, Australia and Oceania
- Also known as
- Variegated flutterer, Yellow-striped flutterer, Yellow-barred flutterer
Where the facts come from
- Rhyothemis variegata (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Davidvraju. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@bugwiki.app and we will fix it.
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