Bug FAQGray's Dragonfly
Hemicordulia grayi · Order: Odonata · Family: Corduliidae
Also called: Yellow Spotted Dragonfly
Gray's dragonfly is a medium-sized dragonfly about 48 to 52 mm long, with a dark greenish-bronze thorax and a dull brown abdomen marked by two rows of yellow spots on each side. It lives only in New Zealand, favoring freshwater habitats such as shrubland wetlands, lake and pond margins, and rocky lake shores.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Two lines of yellow spots run along each side of the abdomen, and each abdominal segment has a yellow spot at its front.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 48 and 52 mm (about 1.9 to 2.0 in) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae are benthic predators that eat a broad range of invertebrates, while adults hunt flying insects on the wing.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Gray's dragonfly is endemic to New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It was sometimes misidentified as a large Uropetala carovei, but it is smaller and does not burrow.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell Gray's dragonfly apart from similar species?
Look for two rows of yellow spots along each side of the abdomen and a smaller size compared with the large Uropetala carovei, which also burrows.
Source: Wikipedia
When are Gray's dragonflies most likely to be seen?
Adults are most common from late October through mid-November, with the season ending by late January.
Source: Wikipedia
What habitats should I check for Gray's dragonfly?
Search freshwater sites such as shrubland wetlands, lake and pond edges, and rocky lake shores like those at Lake Taupō and Lake Rotoiti.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Corduliidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemicordulia_grayi
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.