Bug FAQIndigo Dropwing
Trithemis festiva · Order: Odonata · Family: Libellulidae
Also called: Black Stream Glider
It is commonly seen near slow-flowing streams, canals and dense forest edges, and its range stretches from Greece and Turkey across Asia to New Guinea.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males have a darker purplish-grey area on the front of the head. The thorax is black with a purple powdery coating that makes it look deep blue. Legs are black; the wings are clear with a dark brown patch at the base of the hind wing and a black spot at the tip. The abdomen is covered with a fine blue powdery sheen.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is most often seen near slow-flowing streams, canals and dense forest areas. It perches on the tips of aquatic or damp plants growing along stream or river banks.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its distribution is wide, ranging from Greece, Cyprus and Turkey through Asia to New Guinea.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I identify an indigo dropwing?
Look for a medium-sized dragonfly with a black thorax covered in purple powder, a fine blue-shaded abdomen, black legs, and clear wings that have a dark brown mark at the hind-wing base and a black tip spot; males show a darker purplish-grey front of the head.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Libellulidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_stream_glider
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 2026-10-22.