This rather uncommon dragonfly can be easily identified by a distinct constriction in its abdomen. It appears at dusk and come frequently to lights in houses though its usual habitats are tanks edges and marshlands where it flies rapidly during dusk and probably dawn as well. During day time they rest in shrubs overhanging the water surface.
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Showing posts with label Anisoptera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anisoptera. Show all posts
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Elusive Adjutant (Aethriamanta brevipennis)
Uncommon dragonfly. De Fonseka (The Dragonflies of Sri Lanka – 2000 ) mentioned that “it is unrepresented in the Museum collection and has not been recorded from here since first mentioned by Selys in 1897”. Fraser says that it is very local and rare. It is also said that it breeds in small weedy tanks surrounded by forest. However I have observed it in fair numbers during most of the months of the year at Anavilundhawa sanctuary -a wet land Ramsar site in North-Western province - and also once at Girithale tank of Polonnaruwa district.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Spine – Legged Redbolt (Rhodothemis rufa)
Brilliant scarlet red abdomen and thorax with no black markings of the male is the key to identify this insect from similar other dragonflies (Such as Scarlet basker). Sub adult males and females have a light yellowish mid dorsal stripe on segment 1 to 4. It is an uncommon dragonfly of lowland plains and breeds in weedy tanks, ponds, streams and channels while females hiding in surrounding jungle.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Green Skimmer (Orthetrum sabina)
Very common insect of plains and submontane regions of the country. Usually encountered in weedy edges of tanks, irrigation channels, paddy fields and perennial and seasonal ponds where it breeds. Both male and female are similar in shape and color. The extraordinary swollen abdomen of this dragonfly is remarkable and a useful identification feature of it.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Asian Pintail(Acisoma panorpoides)
Asian Pintail is a very small dragonfly of lowland plains up to lower hills. It has a very weak and short flight and hence keeps close to vegetation around heavily weeded water bodies such as tanks, marshes etc. and breed on them without moving far away. It is about 15-18mm of body size (Abdomen) and wing span of 16-22mm. Juvenile female is pale ochreous and which is replaced by azure blue of both sexes of adults.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Ictinogomphus rapax(Rapacius Flangetail)
Rapacius Flangetail is a locally common dragonfly of tanks and paddy fields of low country up to mid hills. It is comparatively large insect of about 52mm of abdomen with appendages and wings with a span of 55-60mm. It breeds on both running and still water while preferring the latter. It is recorded from Kantalai, Wilpattu,Passara, Polonnaruwa,Kandy,Periyakulam, Haldummulla(Fonseka, 2000) and Anawilundawa(Personal observations)
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