Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A Conservation Project
Jetwing
A Photographic Guide to the
Dragonflies of Sri Lanka
Matjaž Bedjanič
Karen Conniff
Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne
Gehan’s Photo Guides
Gehan’s Photo Guide series is published by Jetwing Eco
Holidays, a standard setting wildlife travel company. Jetwing
Eco Holidays would like to thank its Jetwing associates,
industry counterparts, service suppliers and clients for their
support to make it a force for conservation.
Foreword...................................................... 4
Introduction to Dragonflies................................. 6
Life Cycle & Ecology......................................... 7
Dragonfly Conservation....................................10
Morphology...................................................11
Sri Lanka Odonate Checklist..............................15
Simple key to suborders and families
of adult dragonflies of Sri Lanka.......................19
Species Accounts............................................23
Dragonfly Glossary........................................ 232
Dragonfly literature for Sri Lanka...................... 234
Natural History Organisations........................... 238
Useful Natural History books............................ 240
The Authors & Photographers........................... 243
Acknowledgements....................................... 245
Notes........................................................ 247
Foreword
flight, these beautiful insects are completely harmless
to humans – they don’t bite, sting and are not harmful
in any way.
Introduction to Dragonflies
Life Cycle & Ecology
their attractive colouration develops only after several
days. During the pre-reproductive period and while
feeding, the adults are often encountered far from
their breeding places.
FIGURE 1: The life cycle of a dragonfly: (1) mating, (2) egg-laying, (3-6) larval
development, (7) last moulting – emergence, (8) adult insect. (Drawing: M.
Bedjanič)
Mating in dragonflies is something special and is
definitely one of the most interesting acts in nature. It
is interesting that male’s and female’s primary sexual
organs, which are situated at the end of abdomen,
are not in direct contact during mating. Underneath
the second and third abdominal segment, the male
has so called secondary genital organs where sperm
is transferred from the abdomen tip. The female, still
securely held by the male’s anal appendages, bends her
abdomen and genitalia to the secondary genitalia of
the male and the partners are joined. This beautiful
heart-shaped figure is called a “wheel” or “copula”.
Dragonfly Conservation
10
Morphology
Damselfly or dragonfly?
As pointed out earlier, the dragonflies of Sri Lanka can be
divided into two suborders – damselflies (Lat. Zygoptera)
and dragonflies (Lat. Anisoptera). The broadly applied
term “dragonflies” applies to both suborders.
11
FIGURE 2: Wing morphology of a damselfly (Zygoptera, family Coenagrionidae).
12
This is one of the reasons that scientific work and species
determination is often based on stable minute structural
characters, such as the shape of a female’s prothorax or
the shape of anal appendages in males. For the purpose of
this book and field observation guidance for the general
naturalist this would be too complicated and a sound
compromise is needed.
Male or a female?
In dragonflies, mature males and females often look very
different, the males regularly being more conspicuous and
brightly coloured. However, freshly emerged and young
males often resemble paler females in colouration. Wing
venation and often patterns on the thorax are not sex
dependant.
13
Females’ abdomens in Zygoptera have thicker terminal
ends due to distinct ovipositors; an organ below the
abdomen tip, used to lay eggs in plant tissue. In Anisopteran
families, because females lay eggs directly into the water
they have reduced simple straight shaped ovipositors.
Here, presence of two simple straight appendages at the
abdomen tip might be useful in confirming their sex.
14
Sri Lanka Odonate Checklist
15
Blue Sprite (Pseudagrion microcephalum) Pg. 74
Azure Sprite (Pseudagrion decorum) Pg. 76
Sri Lanka Orange-faced Sprite (Pseudagrion rubriceps ceylonicum) E Pg. 78
16
Suborder Anisoptera - Dragonflies
Family Gomphidae - Clubtails
Solitaire Clubtail (Anisogomphus solitaris) E
Sinuate Clubtail (Burmagomphus pyramidalis sinuatus) E Pg. 116
Transvestite Clubtail (Cyclogomphus gynostylus) E Pg. 118
Sri Lanka Sabretail (Megalogomphus ceylonicus) E Pg. 120
Brook Hooktail (Paragomphus henryi) E Pg. 122
Sri Lanka Grappletail (Heliogomphus ceylonicus) E
Lyrate Grappletail (Heliogomphus lyratus) E
Nietner’s Grappletail (Heliogomphus nietneri) E
Wall’s Grappletail (Heliogomphus walli) E Pg. 124
Keiser’s Forktail (Macrogomphus annulatus keiseri) E
Sri Lanka Forktail (Macrogomphus lankanensis) E Pg. 126
Wijaya’s Scissortail (Microgomphus wijaya) E Pg. 128
Rivulet Tiger (Gomphidia pearsoni) E Pg. 130
Rapacious Flangetail (Ictinogomphus rapax) Pg. 132
17
Pink Skimmer (Orthetrum pruinosum neglectum) Pg. 170
Green Skimmer (Orthetrum sabina sabina) Pg. 172
Triangle Skimmer (Orthetrum triangulare triangulare) Pg. 174
Blue Pursuer (Potamarcha congener) Pg. 176
Asian Pintail (Acisoma panorpoides panorpoides) Pg. 178
Asian Groundling (Brachythemis contaminata) Pg. 180
Indian Rockdweller (Bradinopyga geminata) Pg. 182
Oriental Scarlet (Crocothemis servilia servilia) Pg. 184
Black-tipped Percher (Diplacodes nebulosa) Pg. 186
Blue Percher (Diplacodes trivialis) Pg. 188
Light-tipped Demon (Indothemis carnatica) Pg. 190
Restless Demon (Indothemis limbata sita) Pg. 192
Paddyfield Parasol (Neurothemis intermedia intermedia) Pg. 194
Pied Parasol (Neurothemis tullia tullia) Pg. 196
Spine-legged Redbolt (Rhodothemis rufa) Pg. 198
Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) Pg. 200
Crimson Dropwing (Trithemis aurora) Pg. 202
Indigo Dropwing (Trithemis festiva) Pg. 204
Dancing Dropwing (Trithemis pallidinervis) Pg. 206
Aggressive Riverhawk (Onychothemis tonkinensis ceylanica) Pg. 208
Asian Widow (Palpopleura sexmaculata sexmaculata) Pg. 210
Sapphire Flutterer (Rhyothemis triangularis) Pg. 212
Variegated Flutterer (Rhyothemis variegata variegata) Pg. 214
Amber-winged Glider (Hydrobasileus croceus)
Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) Pg. 216
Burmeister’s Glider (Tramea basilaris burmeisteri) Pg. 218
Sociable Glider (Tramea limbata) Pg. 220
Foggy-winged Twister (Tholymis tillarga) Pg. 222
Dingy Duskflyer (Zyxomma petiolatum) Pg. 224
Elusive Adjutant (Aethriamanta brevipennis brevipennis) Pg. 226
Coastal Pennant (Macrodiplax cora)
Scarlet Basker (Urothemis signata signata) Pg. 228
Sri Lanka Cascader (Zygonyx iris ceylonicum) E Pg. 230
Shaded lines indicate species that have not been included in this guide.
E beside the species name indicates endemic species.
18
Simple key to suborders and families
of adult dragonflies of Sri Lanka
Key to Suborders
Slender insects with eyes well Zygoptera
separated by a space greater than their
own diameter. Forewings and hindwings
are essentially similar in shape and
venation, narrow at base.
Robust insects with eyes usually Anisoptera
touching broadly along the mid line, or
if separated, never by a space greater
than their own diameter. Hindwing
expanded at base. Venation of forewing
and hindwing very different.
Key to Families of Zygoptera
1a Numerous antenodal crossveins 2
in the costal space of both wings.
Wings often coloured, sometimes
iridescent.
1b Only two antenodal crossveins in 4
the costal space. Wings hyaline.
2a Very small stout species with Chlorocyphidae
abdomen shorter than hindwings. (pp. 32)
Front of head produced to form
a projecting rostrum or “nose”;
hindwings 15-30 mm.
2b Larger species, abdomen clearly 3
longer than hindwings.
19
3a Larger species with long-legs. Calopterygidae
Head, thorax and abdomen mostly (pp. 26)
bright metallic green. Hindwings
32-38mm.
20
6a Tip of wings not evenly rounded, Platystictidae
slightly angulated. Brown or black (pp. 84)
coloured damselflies with azure
blue markings on abdomen.
21
2a Triangles similarly oriented in both Aeshnidae
wings, with sharp angles pointing (pp. 134)
to the wing tips. Females with
well-developed ovipositor. Never
metallic, often at least partly blue
or green coloured. Large species,
constant fliers.
22
Species Accounts
23