Monday, October 20, 2014

06. Agriocnemis pieris (Laidlaw, 1919)

Agriocnemis pieris (Laidlaw, 1919)
Number: 06
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus:  Agriocnemis 
Species:  Agriocnemis pieris (Laidlaw, 1919)
Common name: White dartlet
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, riversides associated grassland   
Distribution: Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong 
Abundance: Common 
Flight season: March- October
Similar species: Agriocnemis lecteola

Agriocnemis pieris, one of the smallest damselfly of Bangladesh, is a closely similar species of Agriocnemis lecteola and often overlooked. This is my fifth Agriocnemis species from Bangladesh. 

                             Male

The males are white and pale blue. Length of the abdomen and hind wing is 16-18 mm and 11-12 mm respectively. The head is green and black capped, legs are white with black spine. The prothorax is black, anterior of the prothorax is green. 

Fig: Agriocnemis Pieris, male (lateral view) 
Thorax is dorsally black, laterally pale blue with green antehumeral stripe. Abdominal segments and anal appendages are white. Segments 1 and 2 contain similar black scratches dorsally, segments 3-6 contain black dot and segment 7 with distinct black scratch, by which the species can be distinguished easily from Agriocnemis lecteola. 
    


Fig: Agriocnemis Pieris, male (dorsal view)
Fig: Agriocnemis Pieris, teneral male (lateral view) 



The females are often seen associated with male, green and black stripped slander damselfly. Very much confusing with A. lecteola female.




Fig: Agriocnemis Pieris, female (lateral view) 
  

1 comment:

  1. Kawsar...it doesn't look like pieris vai. it is lacteola only.

    ReplyDelete