Many dragonflies, particularly males, are territorial. Some defend a territory against others of their own species, some against other species of dragonfly and a few against insects in unrelated groups. A particular perch may give a dragonfly a good view over an insect-rich feeding ground; males of many species such as the "Pachydiplax longipennis" (blue dasher) jostle other dragonflies to maintain the right to alight there. Defending a breeding territory is common among male dragonflies, especially in species that congregate around ponds. The territory contains desirable features such as a sunlit stretch of shallow water, a special plant species, or the preferred substrate for egg-laying.
Behaviour
Dragonfly
Dragonfly | Behaviour
Many dragonflies, particularly males, are territorial. Some defend a territory against others of their own species, some against other species of dragonfly and a few against insects in unrelated groups. Males, are territorial; some defend a territory against others of their own species, some against other species of dragonfly and a few against insects in unrelated groups Many dragonflies, particularly males, are territorial. Some defend a territory against others of their own species, some against other species of dragonfly and a few against insects in unrelated groups. Many dragonflies, particularly males, are territorial, some defend a territory against others of their own species, some against other species of dragonfly and a few against insects in unrelated groups
what are the life stages of a dragonfly
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Dragonflies are hemimetabolous insects; they do not have a pupal stage and undergo an incomplete metamorphosis with a series of nymphal stages from which the adult emerges.
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what are they ?
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It is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera.
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any conservation efforts to protect it ?
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In 1997, the International Union for Conservation of Nature set up a status survey and conservation action plan for dragonflies.
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talk about their coloration ?
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It is often a combination of yellow, red, brown, and black pigments, with structural colours.
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what are its behavior patterns ?
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A female must mate with the territory holder before laying her eggs. There is also conflict between the males and females. Females may sometimes be harassed by males to the extent that it affects their normal activities including foraging and in some dimorphic species females have evolved multiple forms with some forms appearing deceptively like males. In some species females have evolved behavioural responses such as feigning death to escape the attention of males. Similarly, selection of habitat by adult dragonflies is not random, and terrestrial habitat patches may be held for up to 3 months. A species tightly linked to its birth site utilises a foraging area that is several orders of magnitude larger than the birth site.
Dragonfly | Behaviour
They are often seen flying leisurely over mountain streams or a river; they also occasionally show up at a pond. They are also typically seen flying over heath land. Their bright yellow and black stripes make them easy to identify, even from a fair distance away. They feed mainly on insects ranging from small prey such as midges to flies, butterflies and even bumblebees. This strikingly-coloured insect is incredibly aerobatic and they sometimes fly very high up into the sky.
Golden-ringed dragonfly | Behaviour
It is a large dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax is black; marked with bright greenish-yellow stripes. Abdomen is black, marked with bright citron-yellow. Segment 1 has a small apical dorsal triangle and the whole of the sides. Segment 2 has a dorsal and a lateral stripe, broad at the base. Segment 3 has a dorsal stripe and a lateral wedge-shaped spot at the base. Segments 4 and 5 have a chain of three dorsal spots. Segment 6 has a single baso-dorsal spo. Segment 7 has more than the basal half yellow. Segments 8 and 9 have small lateral basal triangular spots.
Megalogomphus hannyngtoni | Description and habitat
Many adult dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural coloration, making them conspicuous in flight. Their overall coloration is often a combination of yellow, red, brown, and black pigments, with structural colours. Blues are typically created by microstructures in the cuticle that reflect blue light. Greens often combine a structural blue with a yellow pigment. Freshly emerged adults, known as tenerals, are often pale-coloured and obtain their typical colours after a few days, some have their bodies covered with a pale blue, waxy powderiness called pruinosity; it wears off when scraped during mating, leaving darker areas. Some dragonflies, such as the green darner, "Anax junius", have a noniridescent blue which is produced structurally by scatter from arrays of tiny spheres in the endoplasmic reticulum of epidermal cells underneath the cuticle.
Dragonfly | Coloration
It is a medium sized dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax is black on dorsum, marked with yellow. There is a mesothoracic collar, oblique antehumeral stripes joined to the mesothoracic collar, and complete humeral stripes. Laterally yellow, with two black lines mapping out the sutures. The humeral stripes tapering to a point below, and black lines on lateral sutures rather thicker. Segment 1 of the abdomen is black, with a large lateral yellow spot. Segment 2 has a narrow basal black ring and broad sub-basal black stripes. Segments 3 to 6 have yellow basal rings and median dorsal spots. Segment 7 has its basal half yellow.
Nychogomphus striatus | Description and habitat
It is a yellowish red dragonfly with reddish brown eyes. It has a broad basal amber-yellow marking at base of all wings. Its abdomen is reddish with a ventro-lateral brownish stripe interrupted at apical end of segments 3 to 8. Young males and females are more yellowish red. It is more common at sea level all along the coast but becoming rare in the hills.
Neurothemis intermedia | Description and habitat
Many damselflies have elaborate courtship behaviours. These are designed to show off the male's distinctive characteristics, bright colouring or flying abilities, thus demonstrating his fitness. "Calopteryx" males will hover in front of a female with alternating fast and slow wingbeats; if she is receptive she will remain perched, otherwise she will fly off. The male river jewelwing ("Calopteryx aequabilis") performs display flights in front of the female, fluttering his forewings while keeping his hindwings still, and raising his abdomen to reveal the white spots on his wings. "Platycypha" males will hover in front of a female, thrusting their bright white legs forward in front of their heads.
Damselfly | Behaviour
Dragonfly wings behave highly dynamically during flight, flexing and twisting during each beat. Among the variables are wing curvature, length and speed of stroke, angle of attack, forward/back position of wing, and phase relative to the other wings.
Dragonfly | Flight
It is a large dragonfly characterized by its homogeneous colouring of dull browns and greens, by its long and thin anal appendages, and by its crepuscular habits. Its principal food appears to be mosquitoes and microlepidoptera. During the day it rests in dark thickets. Fully matured specimens have bright colours; blues and greens developing very late in life. Young specimens have brown color with some dark shades. Females are exactly similar to the males in colors and markings. It is very closely related to "G. subinterrupta" and it is difficult to distinguish them. But the relative lengths of the superior and inferior anal appendages are different.
Gynacantha dravida | Description and habitat
It is a medium sized dragonfly with thorax black on dorsum, and yellow on the sides. There is a slightly oblique ante-humeral stripe and two narrow parallel black stripes on the sutures enclosing an equally narrow yellow line. Abdomen is black, marked with yellow. Segment 1 has a large spot on the dorsum and the sides. Segment 2 has a mid-dorsal spot. Segment 3 to 7 have basal rings, narrow on 3 to 6, occupying the basal half on segment 7. Segment 8 to 10 are unmarked. Anal appendages are yellow, black on the base. This species is found in banks of montane forest streams where it breeds.
Davidioides martini | Description and habitat
It is a medium sized dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax is black on dorsum, and greenish-yellow on sides. There is a complete yellow meso-thoracic collar and short yellow ante-humeral stripes parallel to the mid-dorsal carina. Abdomen is black, marked with pale greenish-yellow. There is a narrow mid-dorsal stripe extending from segment 1 to 5. There is a large lateral spot on segment 1 and 2 and small baso-lateral spots on 3 to 6. Segment 7 has a ring on its basal third and a dorsal spot on segment 8. Remaining segments are entirely black. Superior anal appendages are black at base, pale green to yellow at the apices.
Heliogomphus promelas | Description and habitat
It is a medium-sized dragonfly with black thorax, marked with yellow. Its wings have a saffron tint, golden yellow at the bases. Abdomen is black, marked with yellow. Segment 1 has a triangular dorsal spot and a large spot on each side. Segment 2 has a mid-dorsal stripe and two spots on each side. Segments 3 to 6 have a pair of sub-dorsal basal spots. Segment 7 is with the basal half yellow with a black dorsal carina and a basal black ring. Segment 8 has a sub-basal spot on each side. Segment 9 has a similar but much smaller spot.
Acrogomphus fraseri | Description and habitat
It is a large dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax black, marked with yellow. There are two broad and oval greenish-yellow dorsal stripes, pointed below and not nearly meeting the meso-thoracic collar. There are two broad yellow stripes separated by a broad black stripe on each side. Abdomen is black, marked with yellow. Segment 1 has a fine apical dorsal ring. Segment 2 has a small oval dorsal spot on the basal two-thirds. Segment 3 to 6 have dorsal basal spots. Segment 7 has the basal half yellow. Segment 8 has a long transverse basal spot. Segment 9 is unmarked.
Gomphidia kodaguensis | Description and habitat
The weak, low, fluttering flight is not unlike that of a black darter, but it perches frequently on the tips of rush stems rather than on the ground. It is a surprisingly inconspicuous species.
Banded darter (dragonfly) | Behaviour
It is a large dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax is velvet-black marked with tender-foliage green. Segment 1 of the abdomen is black with lower part of sides and middle of apical border dorsally pale grass-green. Segment 2 is black with a mid-dorsal stripe bordered with yellow or grass-green. Segment 3 is with a narrow mid-dorsal stripe in green to yellow. The apical third of the segment is black, the medial third except on mid-dorsum bright reddish-brown. Segments 4 to 6 are similar to 3; but the middle third of all segments is entirely reddish-brown. Segment 7 has basal two-thirds citron-yellow and apical third black.
Megalogomphus superbus | Description and habitat
The wings of dragonflies are generally clear, apart from the dark veins and pterostigmata. In the chasers (Libellulidae), however, many genera have areas of colour on the wings: for example, groundlings ("Brachythemis") have brown bands on all four wings, while some scarlets ("Crocothemis") and dropwings ("Trithemis") have bright orange patches at the wing bases. Some aeshnids such as the brown hawker ("Aeshna grandis") have translucent, pale yellow wings.
Dragonfly | Coloration
It is a small dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax is black with slightly interrupted mesothoracic collar and narrow ante-humeral stripes. There is a broad black stripe on postero-lateral suture. Abdomen is black, marked with greenish yellow. Segment 1 has a narrow apical border. Segment 2 has a broad basal ring. Segments 3 to 6 have narrow basal rings. Segment 7 is similar, but broader. Segments 8 to 10 are unmarked. Female is similar to the male. It looks similar to "Microgomphus torquatus"; but can be distinguished by the marks on thorax and by the shape of the anal appendages.
Microgomphus souteri | Description and habitat
It is a medium-sized dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax is black, marked with greenish-yellow ante-humeral stripes. Sides are greenish-yellow, marked with two narrow black stripes. Wings are transparent, slightly tinted with yellow at bases. Abdomen is black, marked with yellow. Segment 1 and 2 have broad dorsal stripes, and its sides. Segment 3 has a mid-dorsal carina of yellow, and a large baso-lateral spot. Segment 4 to 6 have basal dorsal triangular spots and baso-lateral lunules. Segment 7 has a broad basal ring. Segment 8 is unmarked. Segment 9 has its apical half yellow. Segment 10 is unmarked. Anal appendages are black.
Burmagomphus laidlawi | Description and habitat
The adults have metallic bodies; their wings are broader, with wider bases than other damselflies, and at rest hold their wings parallel to the body, slightly elevated. Some species have conspicuously colored wings; in males, the wings are usually blue, without pterostigmas, in females green or brown. Species are often quite variable in color and patterning, and they are sexually dimorphic. Color intensity may fade with age. The wings are heavily veined, having often 18 or more antenodal veins. The first segment of their antennae is longer than the combined length of the other segments. They have a jerky, skipping form of flight (fluttering, rather than hovering stably like many other damselfly and dragonfly families).
Calopterygidae | Characteristics
It is a black and yellow dragonfly with bluish grey eyes. Its thorax is yellow, marked with blackish-brown stripes. There is a black dorsal line bordering the mesothoraoic collar on either side of the mid-dorsal carina and an oblique antehumeral line to join this line in its upper part, thus enclosing a thin stripe of the yellow colour. There is a line on the humeral suture and two lateral lines close together on the postero-lateral suture. Abdomen is black marked with yellow basal rings. Segment 1 has the sides broadly yellow and a large dorsal apical spot. Segment 2 has a sub-dorsal black line on each side enclosing a dorsal yellow spot.
Paragomphus lineatus | Description and habitat
It is a medium sized dragonfly with red eyes, thorax and abdomen. But young males and females have a mid-dorsal citron-yellow stripe in the pro-thorax and a citron-yellow stripe on mid-dorsum of the abdominal segments. These marks get obscured by pruinescence in adult males. Color of female is brown. It breeds in open ponds, marshes and lakes.
Rhodothemis rufa | Description and habitat
Members of this genus are medium-sized dragonflies with dark bodies and a metallic green lustre. The eyes are brilliant green, and many species have dull to bright yellow markings on the thorax and/or abdomen. The abdomens of males are distinctive, with the first two segments bulbous-shaped, the third constricted, and the rest of the abdomen club-shaped with a straight ending. Females have abdomens with straighter sides. Identifying these dragonflies to species can be difficult. The cerci of males, on the tip of the abdomen, are distinctively shaped in each species, as are the subgenital plates on female abdomens. In some species, the subgenital plate is large and projecting, and is used as a "pseudo-ovipositor" for inserting eggs into a substrate.
Somatochlora | Description
It is a medium sized dragonfly with bluish-green eyes. Its thorax is black, marked with pale blue. There are two fine mid-dorsal stripes and a humeral stripe broadening below. Laterally blue, with a rather broad black stripe which bifurcates below to form an inverted Y. Abdomen is slim, black, marked with pale blue. There is a large lateral spot and a triangular apical mid-dorsal spot on segment 1. There is a fine mid-dorsal stripe, a large subdorsal apical spot and a large ventro-lateral spot on segment 2. Segments 3 to 6 have lateral stripes. Segment 7 has a large dorsal spot on the basal three-fourths.
Hylaeothemis apicalis | Description and habitat
It's a large yellow and black colored dragonfly with bluish-grey eyes. Its thorax is black, marked with yellow or greenish-yellow stripes. Its abdomen is also black with bright yellow marks. There is a leaf like expansion in both sides of segment 8. This species usually perches on a bare twig facing the water, commonly found in ponds, tanks and rivers. It breeds in running and still water.
Ictinogomphus rapax | Description and habitat
Segment 8 is dark reddish-brown changing to black on dorsum. Segment 9 is similar but with the lateral spot much larger and brighter yellow. Segment 10 is reddish-brown. Anal appendages are reddish-brown, paler at base. It differs from "Megalogomphus hannyngtoni" by the red medial markings of abdominal segments 3 to 6, by the occiput being yellow instead of black and the face less black, and by the presence of a humeral stripes. This dragonfly perches on twigs, shrubs, and boulders in hill streams. It breeds in fast flowing forested hill streams.
Megalogomphus superbus | Description and habitat
It is a large dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax is black, marked with bright yellow. Sides are greenish-yellow traversed by two closely parallel black stripes. Abdomen is black, marked with bright yellow. Segment 1 has a broad stripe on dorsum and a large quadrate spot on each side. Segment 2 has an L-shaped spot on each side. Segment 3 has a baso-lateral triangular spot, a latero-ventral stripe tapering from the basal end and a narrow mid-dorsal stripe. Segments 4 to 6 have similar markings, but the lateral stripe is absent and the mid-dorsal stripe is well separated from the basal yellow.
Merogomphus longistigma | Description and habitat
"Rhinocypha" will bob up and down, often low over fast-flowing streams, displaying their bright-coloured bodies and wings. Male members of the family Protoneuridae with vividly coloured wings display these to visiting females. Swift forktail ("Ischnura erratica") males display to each other with their blue-tipped abdomens raised. Other behaviours observed in damselflies include wing-warning, wing-clapping, flights of attrition and abdominal bobbing. Wing-warning is a rapid opening and closing of the wings and is aggressive, while wing-clapping involves a slower opening of the wings followed by a rapid closure, up to eight times in quick succession, and often follows flight; it may serve a thermo-regulatory function.
Damselfly | Behaviour
Among moths with deimatic behaviour, the eyed hawkmoth ("Smerinthus ocellatus") displays its large eyespots, moving them slowly as if it were a vertebrate predator such as an owl. Among butterflies, the peacock butterfly "Aglais io" is a cryptic leaf mimic with wings closed, but displays 4 conspicuous eyespots when disturbed, in a display effective against insectivorous birds (flycatchers). An experiment by the Australian zoologist A. D. Blest demonstrated that the more an eyespot resembled a real vertebrate eye in both colour and pattern, the more effective it was in scaring off insectivorous birds. In another experiment using peacock butterflies, Blest showed that when the conspicuous eyespots had been rubbed off, insectivorous birds (yellow buntings) were much less effectively frightened off, and therefore both the sudden appearance of colour, and the actual eyespot pattern, contribute to the effectiveness of the deimatic display.
Deimatic behaviour | In insects
It is a large reddish-brown dragonfly with golden-amber tinted wings. Eyes are reddish-brown above, yellowish below. Its thorax is ohvaceous suffused with golden reddish-brown, Its base of hind-wings have a moderately broad dark reddish-brown mark. Abdomen is olivaceous, changing to ochreous towards anal end, marked with black. Segments 4 to 9 have apical and basal dorsal black wedge-shaped spots. It breeds in weedy ponds and lakes. The male is often seen patrolling over water, and rarely perches. When perched, they prefer to hang vertically on twigs inside dense shrubbery.
Hydrobasileus croceus | Description and habitat
This dragonfly is 24 to 34 millimeters long, with a hindwing 25 to 30 millimeters long. It can be identified by the brown spots at the bases and tips of the wings. The pterostigma is yellow in younger individuals, and red in older. The face is yellow, turning red in older male specimens. The thorax is yellow-brown with a large dark stripe and several smaller brown stripes. The abdomen is dark with paler markings.
Celithemis elisa | Description
It is a medium sized dragonfly with brown-capped grey eyes. Its thorax is cinereous, marbled and peppered with black in a very irregular manner. Wings are transparent with dual color pterostigma, black at centre and pure white at distal and proximal ends. Abdomen is coloured very similarly to thorax; black marbled with yellow, but with a more definite plan. Segments 3 to 8 have pale basal annules interrupted on dorsum, and formed by two elongate parallel spots. There is a triangular apical sub-dorsal spot and a pale mid-dorsal spot. Anal appendages are creamy-white. Female is similar to the male. Taking advantage of its cryptic coloration, it always rests flat on slab rock or cement-plastered walls, where it almost invisible.
Bradinopyga geminata | Description and habitat
It is a large dragonfly with bluish-green eyes. Its thorax is dark reddish-brown with a dark green metallic reflex, marked with yellow. There is a narrow antehumeral stripe, and an oblique narrow stripe on each side; the two stripes meeting over the dorsum between the wings. Abdomen is black, changing to dark reddish-brown at the terminal segments, ringed with bright ochreous yellow. The base of segment 1 is yellow. Segment 2 has a narrow ring as in "Epophthalmia vittata". Segment 3 has a complete broad ring occupying the apical two-thirds of the segment. Segments 4 to 7 have a broad basal ring.
Epophthalmia frontalis | Description
The larvae generally do not thrive in environments where fish predators are present, and in some case appear to be more vulnerable to predation compared to other species of dragonflies, possibly due to their active foraging behaviour. An active foraging strategy means the larvae purposely swim to different parts of their habitat in search of prey, as opposed to a passive “sit and wait” strategy exhibited by some other species of dragonfly. They rely primarily upon visual cues to locate prey, and will consume anything that isn’t too large or powerful for them to handle. They are therefore more likely to occur in areas of water where fish are absent.
White-faced darter | Larval stage
Clubtails have small, widely separated compound eyes, a trait they share with the Petaluridae and with damselflies. The eyes are blue, turquoise, or green. The thorax in most species is pale with dark stripes, and the pattern of the stripes is often diagnostic. They lack the bright metallic colors of many dragonfly groups and are mostly cryptically colored to avoid detection and little difference between the sexes is seen. Adults are usually from in length. Clubtails are fast-flying dragonflies with short flight seasons. They spend much time at rest, perching in a suitable position to dart forth to prey on flying insects.
Gomphidae | Characteristics
It is a medium sized dragonfly with emerald-green eyes. Its thorax is metallic green with a golden reflex. There is no humeral stripe; but an oblique citron-yellow stripe bordering the antero-lateral suture, and a similar stripe on the lower posterior border of metepimeron. Beneath the side is blackish, striped with yellow. Abdomen is black. The borders of segment 2 ventrally yellow, and also a narrow incomplete annule on the apical border. Anal appendages are black. The male is easily distinguished by the shape of its anal appendages, and the female by the unique shape of its vesicle. Fraser (1936) states that most of the specimens were observed flying quite low over coffee bushes or along the borders of ferny banks.
Idionyx galeata | Description and habitat
It is a large dragonfly with its head rather broad from side to side and eyes are moderately separated with emerald green colour. Its thorax is black with three oblique bright yellow stripes. Its wings are transparent with dark brown apices and black pterostigma. Abdomen is black with yellow markings. The colour and markings of the female is very similar to the male. It is commonly found in mountains in the Western Ghats, soaring in high altitudes. The species is named after .
Chlorogomphus campioni | Description and habitat
It is a medium sized dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax black, marked with greenish-yellow. There is a mesothoracic collar and an oblique antehumeral stripe, generally connected with the mesothoracic collar. Even if they are separated, the lower end of the stripe is squared; not pointed as in "Melligomphus acinaces". Humeral stripe is absent. Laterally there are two broad yellow stripes separated by a broad black stripe, with a yellow spot at its upper part. Abdomen is black, marked with bright citron-yellow. Segment 1 has a triangular apical spot on the dorsum and a large apico-lateral spot. Segment 2 has a dorsal longitudinal stripe, broader at the center.
Lamelligomphus nilgiriensis | Description and habitat
As a medium-sized dragonfly "G. flavipes" is 50–55 mm long and with an average wingspan of 70–80 mm. The eyes are widely separated, this is a typical genus-specific feature, males have blue while females have green eyes. Both sexes have predominantly yellow legs and the males has thin angled appendages, while his 10th segment is entirely black dorsally.
Gomphus flavipes | Morphology
Segments 4 to 6 are with a pair of bright yellowish-red spots. On 7-8 these spots combine to form a continuous yellow band. Segments 9 to 10 are with a pair of large yellowish-red spots. Anal appendages are dark brown; the superiors have a triangular projection at the middle of their inner margin. This dragonfly looks similar to "Anax guttatus"; but can be identifiable by contiguous yellow spots on the posterior abdomen segments (7-8). They are not connected in "Anax guttatus". Females is similar to the male. But the blue on the dorsum of segment 2 will be broken up into four by a narrow brown mid-dorsal carina and a transverse line lying midway to form a cross like mark.
Anax indicus | Description and habitat
It is a medium-sized dragonfly with red eyes. thorax and abdomen. Its wings are transparent with a amber colored spot surrounded by a dark-brown patch in the base of hind-wings. Its abdomen is blood-red, with some black marking on the dorsum of segments 8 and 9. Female is similar to the male; but yellowish in color. The black spots on the dorsum is repeated on segments 3 to 7. Juvenile and sub-adult males also have these marks. This species breeds in ponds and slow flowing rivers, typically in lowland areas. The males often found perch on exposed twigs. This species has managed to colonise urban water bodies and park ponds.
Urothemis signata | Description and habitat
It is a medium-sized dragonfly with brown capped eyes, greenish brown thorax and bluish abdomen. Female lacks the powder blue pruinescence. It prefers medium to slow-flowing streams in the dry zones and hot plains. Adults are common around open rocky and sandy beds of the streams.
Orthetrum taeniolatum | Description and habitat
The adults of "Onychogomphus forcipatus" grow up to long, with a wingspan of . The eyes of these medium sized dragonflies are widely separated and grey-to-green. The two black lines on the side of the thorax are relatively narrow and touch the midline. It has a yellow line on the vertex and two cells above the anal triangle. The abdomen in males is fitted with three hooks of large size (anal appendages). Cercoids may be dark and have a subterminal tooth. The base of the hindwing is angled in males and rounded in females. This species is rather similar to "Onychogomphus uncatus".
Onychogomphus forcipatus | Description
"Crocothemis erythraea" can reach a length of . These dragonflies haves a flattened and rather broad abdomen. The adult male scarlet dragonfly has a bright scarlet red, widened abdomen, with small amber patches at the bases of the hindwings. Also the veins on the leading edges of the wings are red. Females and immatures are yellow-brown and have a conspicuous pale stripe along the top of the thorax.
Scarlet dragonfly | Description
A large dragonfly (length 61–64 mm; wingspan 87–91 mm). The eyes are green and the face deep yellow to greenish yellow; the upper frons has a central black spot within a yellow ring. The thorax is brown with green stripes, and the abdomen green with brown markings. The wings are slightly smoky with brown and yellow veins and reddish-brown to yellow-brown pterostigmata.
Pinheyschna subpupillata | Description
It is a small dragonfly with brown-capped greenish-yellow eyes. Its thorax is blackish brown, marked with yellow. There is a broad oval antehumeral (situated in front of the fore legs) stripe and a short transverse stripe bordering it just below. Laterally there are three stripes. The wings are transparent, and palely tinted with yellow at the extreme base. The abdomen in the male is blood-red, tapered from base to end, and marked with black. Segment 1 is black, with its apical border narrowly red. Segment 2 has its base broadly black and apical border less so. Segments 3 to 8 have the borders narrowly black and the mid-dorsal carina broadly so.
Lyriothemis acigastra | Description
In aggressive behaviour by male stalk-eyed flies the males "square off" by displaying their eyes. Females show a strong preference for mating with males with longer eyestalks. Due to the female preference, males have evolved to compete with each other for mating rights. In the threat display the two flies face each other head-to-head, with their forelegs spread outward and parallel to the eyestalks. This behaviour allows each individual to judge the distance between its competitor's eyes. Eyestalk length increases with body size, and males with shorter eyestalks will usually retreat. A further distance between the eyes conveys a bigger body size, and a better chance of winning.
Agonistic behaviour | Example: Stalk-eyed flies "(Diopsidae)"
It is a small dragonfly with yellow face and bluish green eyes. Its thorax and abdomen are yellow with broad black marks. Its wings are transparent, with fore-wings faintly and hind-wings broadly tinted with yellow in base. Females are similar to males. It breeds in vegetated ponds and wells. Female stabs eggs on dry twigs hanging over water. The eggs hatch out in rains and the larvae fall directly into the water below.
Tetrathemis platyptera | Description and habitat
It is a medium-sized dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax black, marked with greenish-yellow. There is a mesothoracic collar and an oblique ante-humeral stripe. Sides are greenish-yellow with a broad median black stripe on each side. Abdomen is black, marked with greenish-yellow. Segment 1 has an apical triangular spot, and an apical lateral spot. Segment 2 has two large yellow lateral spots. Segment 3 has a large basal spot. Segments 4 to 6 have smaller spots. Segment 7 has its basal half yellow. Segment 8 has only a basal spot on the sides. Segments 9 and 10 are unmarked. Anal appendages are black.
Melligomphus acinaces | Description and habitat
It is a medium sized dragonfly with dark face and bluish eyes. Its thorax is also black with a broad apple green stripe on both sides. Segments 1-2 and 8-10 in the abdomen are black and the remaining segments are pruinosed with azure blue. It is usually found in marshes associated with hill streams where it breeds.
Orthetrum triangulare | Description and habitat
It is a small dragonfly with emerald-green eyes. thorax metallic green. There is no humeral stripe. Laterally There is a narrow oblique stripe at the level of the spiracle and another on the hinder border of metepimeron. Beneath the side is black, bordered with yellow, and with a stripe of paler yellow at its middle. Abdomen is black. In segment 2, the ventral border and a narrow apical stripe in yellow. Segment 10 has a broad carina; but without a dorsal spine. Anal appendages are black. The male can be easily distinguished by the shape of its inferior anal appendage and the female by its safironated wings and conical vesicle.
Idionyx travancorensis | Description and habitat
The flight period extends from April to mid October, but this dragonfly is more common in late summer. Adults feed on soft-bodied flying insects. After mating females usually fly in tandem with males during oviposition, performed in flight by dipping the tip of the abdomen into the water. Larvae live in aquatic vegetation. They feed on many different aquatic insects (mosquito larvae, mayfly larvae, other fly larvae, small fish and tadpoles).
Band-winged meadowhawk | Biology and behavior
The adults of "Onychogomphus uncatus"grow up to long. The eyes are widely separated and bright-blue or gray-blue eyes, never green. The front black line on the side of the thorax does not touch the midline. The yellow collar at the front of the thorax is interrupted by a black bar. It has four cells on the anal triangle of the rear wing, but no yellow line on the 'vertex'. Cercoids are always yellow. This dragonfly is bigger and rarer than the small pincertail ("Onychogomphus forcipatus"), but they are rather similar. The two species can be distinguished on the basis of the shape and extension of the black markings, especially on the thorax and on the last abdominal segments.
Onychogomphus uncatus | Description
It is a medium-sized dragonfly with dark thorax with slight purple pruinescence and purple colored abdomen. Young males have red abdomen as in "Orthetrum chrysis". Females of both species look similar. It breeds in ponds, lakes and sluggish streams.
Orthetrum pruinosum | Description and habitat
It is a small dragonfly with dark reddish-brown eyes. Its thorax is dark chocolate-brown on dorsum and humeral region, paling on sides. Wings are transparent, tinted with deep golden-amber at base. Abdomen and anal appendages are bright red. Female is similar to the male; but greenish-yellow in colors. It breeds in weedy ponds and lakes.
Aethriamanta brevipennis | Description and habitat
"Diplacodes nebulosa" is a very small and slender dragonfly. Males have a black abdomen and black wing tips; females are yellow and black, and their wings can be hyaline, or with an orange base, or, like the male, have black tips. It prefers marshes and heavily weeded ponds.
Diplacodes nebulosa | Description and habitat
It is a small metallic-green dragonfly with emerald-green eyes. Its lateral sides of the thorax and dorsal side of the abdomen have yellow stripes up to segment 6. Segment 7 has a broad "ace of clubs" like mark on dorsal side. Remaining segments are unmarked. Female is similar to the male. They are crepuscular in nature and rest in vegetation near forest streams during day.
Macromidia donaldi | Description and habitat
It is a medium sized dragonfly with yellowish white face and blue eyes. Its thorax is yellowish green with some brown stripes. Its wings are transparent, including the base. Its abdomen is pruinosed with azure blue up to the last segments. In old adults, thorax will also get pruinosed, obscuring whole the marks. Females and young males are yellowish green. They breed in marshes and swampy areas in the plains.
Orthetrum luzonicum | Description and habitat
Sometimes it happens that one of these apparently quietly hovering forms suddenly darts head downwards, and in this event it seems only to rise again with difficulty. They are driven to these violent erratic movements by dragon-flies, which lie in wait for them especially in marshy places and molest them from the tips of dry twigs, apparently more out of wantonness than from a desire to catch them."
Sunset morpho | Behaviour
Males can be observed flying in a nearly vertical orientation; their antennae held forward and stiff while their legs are held toward the body during patrolling. They also show an obvious gaze shift towards the last female flash, and continue towards it until the female firefly flashes again. The flashes continue until the male reaches the female. Males congregate in large masses and it is most likely that more than one will find the same female; in this case male "P. pyralis" display aggression towards one another while not in flight. During the “aggression” stage, males with smaller elytra and smaller lanterns are favored; whereas during the signaling phase, males with longer elytra and bigger lanterns are favoured.
Photinus pyralis | Mating
For example, in "Coenagrion", the Eurasian bluets, the males are bright blue with black markings, while the females are usually predominantly green or brown with black. A few dimorphic species show female-limited polymorphism, the females being in two forms, one form distinct and the other with the patterning as in males. The ones that look like males, andromorphs, are usually under a third of the female population but the proportion can rise significantly and a theory that explains this response suggests that it helps overcome harassment by males. Some Coenagrionid damselflies show male-limited polymorphism, an even less understood phenomenon. In general, damselflies are smaller than dragonflies, the smallest being members of the genus "Agriocnemis" (wisps).
Damselfly | General description
It is a crepuscular dragonfly, active in the dusk. This species can be easily distinguished by the multicolored upper surface of frons and by the shape and relative lengths of the anal appendages. Its labium and labrum are golden-yellow and face and frons are greenish yellow and eyes are green, bluish when aged. Its thorax is pale olivaceous brown with dark brown sutures. Its segment two of the abdomen is turquoise blue. Segment three has a large blue patch at each side. Segments 4 to 9 have an irregular black middorsal stripe. Segment 10 is black.
Anax parthenope | Description
It is a small dragonfly with dark-brown eyes. Its thorax is yellowish-brown, with black metallic markings. All marks are obscured by bluish-white pruinescence in adults. Abdomen is black on dorsum, marked with broad yellow spots on the sides in sub-adults and tenerals. All the marks are obscured by blue pruinescence in adults. Female is similar to the teneral male. It breeds in marshes, ditches, and ponds.
Brachydiplax sobrina | Description and habitat
It is a medium sized dragonfly with brown-capped greenish-yellow eyes. Its thorax is black on dorsum, yellow on sides. There is a thick black oblique stripe on the posterior half of mesepimeron and postero-lateral suture. Wings are transparent, tinted with amber-yellow at base. Abdomen is blood-red, marked with black. Segment 1 is narrowly bordered with ochreous yellow. Segments 2 and 3 are ochreous laterally. All segments have very narrow black borders. Segments 3 to 9 has a narrow mid-dorsal black stripe, faded in adults. Segment 10 is entirely black. Anal appendages are dark reddish-brown. Female is similar to the male; but its thorax is coppery-brown and segments 3 to 8 with mid-dorsal carina rather broadly black.
Lyriothemis tricolor | Description
It is a medium-sized rusty dragonfly with transparent wing tips. Male has a reddish-brown face with eyes which are dark reddish brown above, golden brown below. Thorax, abdomen and legs are reddish brown. Wings are dark reddish brown with an irregular triangular transparent area at the tip of the wing. The wing spots are dark reddish brown. Many forms of females are found. Color of head, thorax and abdomen paler than males or rusty brown. Wings are clear amber yellow with a dark ray extending to the tip in fore wing. Many of them have an irregular triangular transparent area at the tip of the wing.
Neurothemis fulvia | Description
It is a medium sized damselfly with bluish green eyes with a tiny black spot on the top, paler below. Its thorax is bluish green on dorsum, and azure blue on the lower sides. There is a very thin and black mid-dorsal carina, bordered with equally narrow black lines, running close and parallel to it on each side. There is a narrow black humeral stripe and a short black point at the upper part of postero-lateral suture. Winqs are transparent with diamond-shaped pterostigma. Abdomen is azure blue with dorsal black mark up to segment 7. Segments 8 to 10 have only narrow apical black lines.
Pseudagrion decorum | Description and habitat
Males of the banded darter, like most members of the genus, have a red abdomen. The species' primary distinguishing feature however is the presence, in both sexes, of broad black bands across the outer section of each wing. It is similar in size to the black darter ("Sympetrum danae") (35-40mm), sharing the broad hindwings and black legs.
Banded darter (dragonfly) | Description
The wings vary in size, shape, width and coloration. The clear uncoloured apices of wings will help to distinguish it from other red Asian dragonflies.
Neurothemis fulvia | Description
The nymphs moult repeatedly, at the last moult climbing out of the water to undergo metamorphosis. The skin splits down the back, they emerge and inflate their wings and abdomen to gain their adult form. Their presence on a body of water indicates that it is relatively unpolluted, but their dependence on freshwater makes them vulnerable to damage to their wetland habitats. Some species of damselfly have elaborate courtship behaviours. Many species are sexually dimorphic, the males often being more brightly coloured than the females. Like dragonflies, they reproduce using indirect insemination and delayed fertilisation. A mating pair form a shape known as a "heart" or "wheel", the male clasping the female at the back of the head, the female curling her abdomen down to pick up sperm from secondary genitalia at the base of the male's abdomen.
Damselfly | Introduction
The grass demon prefers forest edges or clearings where dappled light is present. Its black and white colouration may have evolved to take advantage of the dappled light in these areas. The pied pattern which seems prominent in the open is effectively disruptive in the shade and the butterfly is difficult to locate once it settles down. It is a bold insect and not easily disturbed. It usually flies in the shade among bushes and under trees keeping low and close to the ground. From time to time, it takes short flights, and, occasionally, much longer excursions into the open clearings.
Udaspes folus | Habits
It is a medium sized damselfly with black-capped greenish eyes. Its thorax is black on dorsum with black humeral stripes; the area between them is pale green. The lateral sides are azure blue. Abdominal segments 1 and 2 are azure blue with black marks on the dorsum. Mark on segment 2 looks like a chalice or thistle-head. Segments 3 to 7 are black on dorsum and pale green on the sides. Segments 8 and 9 are azure blue with black apical annules. Segment 10 is black. Female has yellowish green thorax and green eyes capped with yellowish green. Color of the abdomen is similar to the male; but paler.
Pseudagrion indicum | Description and habitat
Curling back upwards, it completes its emergence, swallowing air, which plumps out its body, and pumping haemolymph into its wings, which causes them to expand to their full extent. Dragonflies in temperate areas can be categorized into two groups, an early group and a later one. In any one area, individuals of a particular "spring species" emerge within a few days of each other. The springtime darner ("Basiaeschna janata"), for example, is suddenly very common in the spring, but disappears a few weeks later and is not seen again until the following year. By contrast, a "summer species" emerges over a period of weeks or months, later in the year.
Dragonfly | Life cycle
"Diplacodes trivialis" is small dragonfly with bluish eyes and greenish-yellow or olivaceous thorax and abdomen with black marks. In very old adults, the whole thorax and abdomen become uniform pruinosed blue. Clear wings, without apical or basal markings, and the creamy white anal appendages and deep pruinescence in adults help to distinguish this species from others in its genus. It breeds in ponds, wet rice fields, shallow lakes, drainage ditches and similar habitats. It is one of the most common dragonflies in Asia, found in both the plains and hills and in dry and wet areas.
Diplacodes trivialis | Description and habitat
It is a medium-sized chocolate-brown colored dragonfly with emerald-green eyes. Female is similar to the males. It breeds in small pools, ponds, swamps and slow flowing rivers. It is crepuscular but may also be active during overcast days. Usually seen in the evening as an extremely rapid flyer, flying low over water-bodies, hawking midges and mosquitoes. In daytime it roosts among vegetation and can be difficult to find.
Zyxomma petiolatum | Description and habitat
Many dragonflies, particularly males, are territorial. Some defend a territory against others of their own species, some against other species of dragonfly and a few against insects in unrelated groups. A particular perch may give a dragonfly a good view over an insect-rich feeding ground; males of many species such as the "Pachydiplax longipennis" (blue dasher) jostle other dragonflies to maintain the right to alight there. Defending a breeding territory is common among male dragonflies, especially in species that congregate around ponds. The territory contains desirable features such as a sunlit stretch of shallow water, a special plant species, or the preferred substrate for egg-laying.
Dragonfly | Behaviour
Only short flights of the butterfly can be seen. Male chocolate royal are seen sitting on wet ground and drinking water. They are seldom seen sitting on flowers to suck nectar. However, they are seen sitting on bird faeces and extracting mineral salt. They are usually seen basking in the sun with their upper wings opened.
Remelana jangala | Behavioral patterns
It is a medium sized dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax is dark metallic-blue, marked with citron-yellow. There is a narrow mid-dorsal carina, a humeral spot and a narrow stripe on mesepimeron. Abdomen is black, marked with citron-yellow. Segment 1 has a triangular spot on mid-dorsum. Ssegment 2 has a small diamond-shaped spot on mid-dorsum. Segment 3 has its base dorsally and sub-dorsally narrow yellow and a stellate spot on mid-dorsum. Segments 4 to 9 are similar to 3; but the lateral spots much smaller. Segment 10 is entirely black. Anal appendages are black. Female is similar to the male.
Onychothemis testacea | Description
The territory may be small or large, depending on its quality, the time of day, and the number of competitors, and may be held for a few minutes or several hours. Dragonflies including "Tramea lacerata" (black saddlebags) may notice landmarks that assist in defining the boundaries of the territory. Landmarks may reduce the costs of territory establishment, or might serve as a spatial reference. Some dragonflies signal ownership with striking colours on the face, abdomen, legs, or wings. The "Plathemis lydia" (common whitetail) dashes towards an intruder holding its white abdomen aloft like a flag. Other dragonflies engage in aerial dogfights or high-speed chases.
Dragonfly | Behaviour
When they first emerge, both sexes appear pale green with brown markings. The legs are brown with a yellow like base. Wings are born black but grow yellow-brown with age. Males have a sky blue abdomen marked with a diagnostic black dorsal stripe and an apple green thorax. The thorax and head of a male is green and their prominent eyes are blue. Females have similar markings but they are mainly green.
Emperor (dragonfly) | Identification
It is a large dragonfly with greenish-yellow eyes. Its thorax is olivaceous-brown, paler on sides. Wings are transparent with an amber-yellow patch. Abdomen is ochreous, marked with azure-blue and reddish-brown. Segment 2 is blue on dorsum and pale green on the sides. Segments 3 to 7 are olivaceous-yellow with irregular reddish-brown stripes on mid-dorsum and narrow black apical annules. There is a broad mid-dorsal blackish-brown stripe on segments 8 and 9, enclosing a pair of triangular yellow apical spots. Segment 10 is bright yellow, with its base and mid-dorsum broadly black. Female is similar to the male. Its natural habitats are shrub-dominated wetlands, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, and freshwater springs.
Anax ephippiger | Description and habitat
It is a medium sized dragonfly with dark face and greenish blue eyes. The thorax of old males are dark blue due to pruinescence. Its wings are transparent with dark amber-yellow tint in the extreme base. Its abdomen is pruinosed with blue color up to segment 8; last two segments are black. It breeds in marshes associated with forest streams, plantations and canals.
Orthetrum glaucum | Description and habitat
It is a small dragonfly with eyes dark brown above, violaceous below. Its prothorax, thorax, abdomen, and legs are entirely black in full adults; but in sub-adults, some yellow marks on sides of thorax and yellow spots on segments 4 to 8 in abdomen. This species is found on open waste lands and freshwater habitats.
Diplacodes lefebvrii | Description and habitat
It is a large dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax is black, marked with bright yellow. Sides are greenish-yellow traversed by two closely parallel black stripes. Abdomen is black, marked with bright yellow. Fraser described this dragonfly as a race or subspecies of "Merogomphus longistigma" in 1931. He differentiated it from "M. longistigma longistigma" by the colour of the occiput and abdominal markings, as well as by its smaller size. The occiput entirely black here whereas greenish yellow in "M. longistigrna longistigma". The mid-dorsal spot on segment 3 is isolated, and entirely absent on segments 4 to 6. There is a narrow mid-dorsal stripe in segment 3 to 6 in "M.
Merogomphus tamaracherriensis | Description and habitat
It is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60-85mm. Adults are grayish to greenish yellow with black and pale markings and green eyes. Its abdomen is greenish-yellow, marked with black. 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, color and size; differing only in sexual characteristics. This dragonfly perches motionless on shrubs and dry twigs for long periods. It voraciously preys on smaller butterflies and dragonflies.
Orthetrum sabina | Description and habitat
"G. flavipes", as all dragonflies, are predators; they capture smaller insect in flight. Imagos are rarely seen, the easiest way to observe them is in the mating period or during the emergence of young adults. Mating usually takes place in June or July. During the day adult males search for females, far from the riverbank, in low altitude above the waterfront. If they successfully catch a female copulation takes place in the shelter of water edge willows. After fertilization females fly 20–30 cm above the water and lay eggs (one at a time or in a small packets) into the water.
Gomphus flavipes | Behaviour and life cycle
It is a medium sized dragonfly with emerald-green eyes. Its thorax is dark metallic blue, marked with citron-yellow. There is a well-defined humeral stripe, an oblique narrow stripe on the mesepimeron, and a narrow stripe on the posterior border of the metepimeron. Abdomen is black, marked with citron-yellow. The basal half of segment 2 is yellow. Segment 3 has paired dorsal spots apposed to the basal side of jugum, and a baso-lateral triangular spot on each side. Segments 4 to 6 have the paired dorsal spots. Segment 7 has a basal annule occupying about one-third the length of segment. Segment 8 has a large triangular basal dorsal spot and a quadrate spot at the base on each side.
Macromia flavocolorata | Description and habitat
"Orthetrum testaceum" can reach a body length of about , with an hindwing of (in males). In these large dragonflies the thorax of adult males is orange-brown, with a vermilion red abdomen. The eyes are light brownish. The wings are smoky transparent, with an amber patch at the base. In adult females and in recently emerged males body is olive-green to brown in colour with black markings and a clear base of the hindwings. These dragonflies are rather similar to "Orthetrum chrysis", but "O. testaceum" is much reddish, whilew "O. chrysis" has a reddish brown thorax.
Orthetrum testaceum | Description
Common archtails are small dragonflies (wingspan 50-60mm, length 35-40mm) having a black abdomen marked with small yellow bands or patches. The abdomen is arched with swollen segments towards the end. The synthorax is black, marked with large yellowish or greenish patches. The wings are hyaline with brown markings on the inner third.
Nannophlebia risi | Description
Some of the species, such as "Speiredonia spectans", "S. cthulhui", "S. hogenesi", "S. martabanica", "S. sandokana", "S. alix". "S. itynx", "S. levis" and "S. celebensis" have a pattern on the wings that while the moth is at rest looks like the 3-dimensional face of a lurking animal with eyes and nostrils. This pattern is more clearly discernible in females and may cause an attacking predator to hesitate or perhaps withdraw.
Speiredonia | Defensive display
This is a slender dragonfly with abdomen constricted at the 3rd segment and colored a uniform parakeet green, sometimes turning olivaceous. Its thorax is green and abdomen is pale brown to reddish brown above with segments 1–3 grass green on the sides. It can be distinguished from other "Gynacantha" species as it has unmarked frons whereas "Gynacantha dravida", "Gynacantha basiguttata" and "Gynacantha subinterrupta" have a "T-mark". Fraser described "Gynacantha millardi" which resembles "G. bayadera" in its size, shape and colors. But it can be differentiated by the absence of the usual constriction of segment three which is very prominent in "G.
Gynacantha bayadera | Description and habitat
The compound eyes are made up of ommatidia, the numbers being greater in the larger species. "Aeshna interrupta" has 22650 ommatidia of two varying sizes, 4500 being large. The facets facing downward tend to be smaller. "Petalura gigantea" has 23890 ommatidia of just one size. These facets provide complete vision in the frontal hemisphere of the dragonfly. The compound eyes meet at the top of the head (except in the Petaluridae and Gomphidae, as also in the genus "Epiophlebia"). Also, they have three simple eyes or ocelli. The mouthparts are adapted for biting with a toothed jaw; the flap-like labrum, at the front of the mouth, can be shot rapidly forward to catch prey.
Dragonfly | General description
The eggs and larvae develop within a few months and "S. fonscolombii" unlike most other European dragonflies has more than one generation a year. Some larvae overwinter.
Red-veined darter | Biology and behaviour
It is a medium-sized dragonfly with its thorax black, having two thick yellow ante-humeral stripes. Abdomen is black, marked with citron-yellow paired spots. Segment 2 has a dorsal stripe broken at its centre. Segment 3 has a large base-lateral dorsal spot. Segments 4 to 6 have similar, but smaller spots. Segment 7 has the basal half marked with yellow. Segments 8 and 9 have baso-lateral triangular spots. Segment 8 is very broad, segment 9 is tapering from base to apex, and nearly as long as segments 7 and 8 together as peculiar in genus "Macrogomphus". It looks very similar to "Macrogomphus annulatus"; but can be distinguished by the paired spots on abdominal segments 3 to 6 instead of complete rings.
Macrogomphus wynaadicus | Description and habitat
It is a moderately sized dragonfly with bluish-green eyes and dark brown thorax, marked with yellow stripes on the sides. Its abdomen is dark reddish-brown with yellow annules on segment 1 to 9. The species breeds in weedy tanks and ponds. Adults can be found far away from breeding habitats. It soars tirelessly during daytime high up, occasionally in small swarms.
Epophthalmia vittata | Description and habitat
It is a big dragonfly with blue eyes, pale green thorax and dark brown abdomen with bright blue-green markings on the sides. It can reach a wingspan of about and a body length of about . Forewings are clear, the inner-half of the hindwings is brown, while the outer-half is clear. Segment 1 and sides of segment 2 of the abdomen are pale green. The dorsum of segment 2 is blue. Segment 3 is pale green on the sides with a triangular blue spot on the dorsum. Segments 4 to 7 are with a pair of baso-lateral, postjugal, and apical spots, all in bright orange.
Anax guttatus | Description
"Diplacodes bipunctata" is a small to medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of about 55 millimeters. The wings are colorless except for a yellowish spot at the base of the hindwing. The male has a bright orange or red abdomen with dark markings along the dorsal line and sides, and the female is yellowish with similar markings. There are two dark spots at the side of the synthorax, one of which is the metastigma.
Diplacodes bipunctata | Description
It is a medium sized dragonfly with black thorax, marked with greenish-yellow. There is a sinuous dorsal stripe which is formed by the union of an ante-humeral with a humeral stripe. Sides of the thorax are yellow, marked with a narrow, black stripe on the postero-lateral suture and on the lower half of the anterior suture. Wings are transparent, slightly tinted with saffron at bases. Abdomen is black, marked with yellow. Segment 1 has a triangular mark on dorsum at apex and a broad baso-lateral spot. Segment 2 has a dorsal stripe and a very broad spot on sides. Segment 3 to 8 have narrow basal rings.
Burmagomphus pyramidalis | Description and habitat
Deimatic displays are made by insects including the praying mantises (Mantidae) and stick insects (Phasmatodea). While undisturbed, these insects are usually well camouflaged. When disturbed by a potential predator, they suddenly reveal their hind wings, which are brightly coloured. In mantises, the wing display is sometimes reinforced by showing brightly coloured front legs, and accompanied by a loud hissing sound created by stridulation. For example, the grasshopper "Phymateus" displays red and yellow areas on its hind wings; it is also aposematic, producing a distasteful secretion from its thorax. Similarly the threat display of the walking stick phasmid ("Peruphasma schultei") is not a bluff: the insect sprays defensive dolichodial-like monoterpene chemical compounds at attackers.
Deimatic behaviour | In insects
Mating occurs either on floating plants or at the margins. When perched on floating plants, the male holds its abdomen slightly upcurved (the red-eyed damselfly holds it straight).
Small red-eyed damselfly | Behaviour
Adults can be seen on the wing all year round in southern Europe but in northern regions they occur from June to November. This small dragonfly is seen in a wide variety of habitats, including lakes, ponds, canals and slow-flowing rivers. They are ambush predators, waiting on a prominent perch - such as a leaf or the top of a gate, until prey fly past, whereupon they will fly after it. They are territorial on breeding waters, often attempting to chase much bigger dragonflies away such as southern hawkers. This habit of repeatedly returning to a sunny spot allows you to easily predict where they are going to land, which is why it is one of the easiest dragonflies to photograph.
Common darter | Behaviour
Dragonflies may also raise their abdomens for other reasons. For instance, male Blue Dashers ("Pachydiplax longipennis") assume an obelisk-like posture while guarding their territories or during conflicts with other males, displaying the blue pruinescence on their abdomens to best advantage. However, both females and males will raise their abdomens at high temperature and lower them again if shaded. This behavior can be demonstrated in the laboratory by heating captive Blue Dashers with a 250 watt lamp, and has been shown to be effective in stopping or slowing the rise in their body temperature. The obelisk posture has been observed in about 30 species in the Demoiselle, Clubtail, and Skimmer families.
Obelisk posture | Function and occurrence