Rhodothemis flavostigma (Navas, 1932) 
        Rhodothemis lieftincki (Fraser, 1954) 
        Rhodothemis mauritsi (Lohmann, 1984)
        Rhodothemis nigripes (Lohmann, 1984) 
        Rhodothemis rufa (Rambur, 1842) 

Rhodothemis rufa (Rambur, 1842) is a medium-sized species with red-bodied males. In males, the hindwing is 33 to 35 mm long and the total body length ranges from 41 to 44 mm. It is very easily confused with Crocothemis servilia and similarly, the male also has red eyes, thorax and abdomen, with a thick pale band on the dorsum of the thorax. It is separated by features of the venation and the eyes, which just touch in Rhodothemis rufa (meeting more broadly in Crocothemis servilia). Both Rhodothemis rufa and C. servilia have red eyes but R. rufa lacks the black strip on the dorsal of abdomen. Further, they prefer to perch on leaves with wings wide open; rarely perch on a bare twig. 

The female is brown with a distinguish bright yellow stripe at middorsal (along the dorsum of the thorax) that extends to the third segment of the abdomen. Immature males are similar to females. The pale band of the dorsum seprates it from Crocothemis servilia, as well as the structural features noted for the male. 

This is not a forest species. Males tend to perch on the flat surface of leaves and lily pads, rather than on tips of emergent plants.

Rhodothemis rufa is a very widespread species, occurring throughout tropical and subtropical mainland Asia, the Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hainan, the Solomon Islands, and as far south as New Guinea, common over much of its range and not under any significant threat at present. Assessed by IUCN Red List as Least Concern.