Rhyothemis noshime Asahina, 1982[2] Rhyothemis fuliginosa, also known as the butterfly dragonfly or the butterfly flutterer,[3] is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae found throughout East Asia, in the countries of Japan, China, Taiwan, and the Korean Peninsula.

[4][9] The wing patterns are thought to be a determinant between members of the same species to avoid mating with the incorrect partner.

[6] Rhyothemis fuliginosa is found throughout East Asia, being known to have been spotted in China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Korean Peninsula.

[5][4] In Mainland China, R. fuliginosa is found in: Guangdong, Hebei, Henan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shichuan, and Zhejiang provinces.

[11] It has been previously known to exhibit swarming behavior, however as a result of habitat depletion and pollution with insecticide use, there has been significant population decline within Japan.

[5][3] Increasing urbanization has resulted visible population decline, with the butterfly flutterer becoming less and less abundant within metropolitan areas.

Fliedner and Martins suspect during the naming of Rhyothemis by Hagen, the prefix was inspired by the (at the time) recently discovered Rhyolite, a multicolored volcanic rock resembling the iridescent wings exhibited by the genus.

The common name refers to the wide, iridescent wings along with the unique fluttering flight the species exhibits which resembles that of a butterfly.