Dune Glider

Tramea eurybia is a medium-sized dragonfly with red, brown and black markings and a distinctive dark patch at the base of the hindwing. It is similar in appearance to Tramea stenoloba, but differs in the structure of the reproductive appendages of the male and the vulvar scale, a structure beneath the abdomen of the female. The thorax is reddish-brown to red, with limited dark markings. In males, the front of the head is orange-red to deep red, with a narrow metallic band along the rear margin. The dark patch at the base of the hindwing is usually large and lacks the surrounding pale border seen in some related species.

Tramea eurybia occurs from the Andaman Islands through the Indonesian archipelago and New Guinea to Fiji. In Australia it is found mainly at coastal dune lakes in eastern Australia. Outside Australia the species inhabits a wider range of still-water habitats.

In 1878, Selys described Tramea eurybia from specimens collected in Sulawesi. In 1967, Watson reviewed Indo-Australian species of the Tramea eurybia group, examining the relationships between Tramea eurybia and related species including Tramea stenoloba. Watson recognised Tramea eurybia as a widespread species occurring from the Andaman Islands through the Indonesian archipelago and New Guinea to Australia and Fiji.