About Potamarcha congener (Rambur, 1842)
Potamarcha congener is a medium-sized dragonfly. It has a bluish black thorax and a yellow abdomen (tail) marked with black. Its face ranges in color from olivaceous yellow to steel black or brown, and its eyes are reddish brown on the upper part and bluish grey on the lower part. In adult males, the thorax and the first four abdominal segments are covered with bluish pruinescence. Young adult males have yellow markings that remain visible through this pruinescence. The rest of the male abdomen is black with orange markings, and the last two segments are entirely black. Females have yellow and black stripes on the sides of the thorax. Their abdomen is black with dull orange markings, and has prominent flaps on each side of the eighth abdominal segment. These flaps may function to hold eggs in place during oviposition. This species is found in terrestrial areas near standing water bodies, including small ponds, rice fields, and marshes, where it breeds. Potamarcha congener is common across most of its range, which covers parts of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, including India, Indonesia, China, Australia, and Vietnam. Due to its wide distribution, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified this species as Least Concern.
