It is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60-85mm. Adults are greyish to greenish yellow with black and pale markings and green eyes. Its abdomen is greenish-yellow, marked with black.[8] It is very similar to Orthetrum serapia in appearance, with both species appearing in northern
Australia. Pale markings on segment four of the abdomen do not extend into the posterior section when viewed from above on Orthetrum sabina. Females are similar to males in shape, colour and size; differing only in sexual characteristics.[8][9] This dragonfly perches motionless on shrubs and dry twigs for long periods. It preys voraciously on smaller butterflies and dragonflies.[8][10][11][12]
Orthetrum sabina, Libellulidae: Odonata. Taken at Rabindra Abas, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India
^Watson, J.A.L.; Theischinger, G.; Abbey, H.M. (1991). The Australian Dragonflies: A Guide to the Identification, Distributions and Habitats of Australian Odonata. Melbourne: CSIRO. p. 278.
ISBN0643051368.
^K.A., Subramanian; K.G., Emiliyamma; R., Babu; C., Radhakrishnan; S.S., Talmale (2018). Atlas of Odonata (Insecta) of the Western Ghats, India. Zoological Survey of India. pp. 357–358.
ISBN9788181714954.
^Theischinger, G; Hawking, J (2006). The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia. Collingwood Vic.: CSIRO Publishing. p. 268.
ISBN978 0 64309 073 6.