Urothemis assignata (Selys 1872)

Flight period: Nov-May (Samways, 2008)

Face: including top of frons and vertex, deep red. Eyes: above deep red, below light grey and blackish mottled. Synthorax: deep red with small darker patches. Wings: hindwing with dark red, angular, basal, flares, with fine, amber halo. Forewing with minute traces of basal amber. Veins red in hindwing patch, rest orange. Pterostigmas: yellowish brown with fine blackish anterior border, 4 mm long. Abdomen: stout, bright red. S5-9 above with black stripe of uneven widths, widest on S8-9. Superior appendages moderate length, red. Female: same build as male but not red, all grey, greyish brown and dark brown, abdomen above heavily marked. Hindwing patch similar to male, but not so extensive. *** text used with permission from Samways (2008).

Medium-sized stout, bright red, with large dark red hindwing splashes. Perches conspicuously on tops of reeds at marshy pools in warm areas (Samways, 2008).

Urothemis assignata, the Red basker, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.