[1][5][6][7] An adult male Macrodiplax cora is a medium-sized dragonfly (length 45mm, wingspan 75mm) with a red abdomen, dorsally marked with black patches on each segment.

[4] Its bi-colored legs and hourglass shaped black patches on the abdominal segments will help to easily distinguish them from other red colored dragonflies.

[8] The species undertakes migration and may be nomadic, and is thus widespread in tropical Asia and Australasia.

It occurs in South Asia, Australia and a variety of Indian and Pacific Oceans Islands.

It prefers coastal lagoons, estuaries and swamps, as it is somewhat salt-tolerant.