18. Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798)

18. Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798)

Number: 18

Family: Libellulidae

Genus: Tholymis 

Species: Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798) 

Common name: Coral-tailed Cloud Wing
Habitat: Lakes, ponds and rivers

Distribution: All over Bangladesh

Abundance: Common 

Flight Season: February - December


The coral-tailed cloudwing is one of the beautiful Libellulidae species found in Bangladesh. Unlike many dragonflies they are mostly active in the late afternoon before sunset, they fly even mate in that period. 

                                                              The Male 

The male is Red in color, They can be clearly distinguished from the other closely siilar species by observing the cloud like patches in the hind wing. In fact their common name cloud wing came from their cloudy patches. 

The juvenile male is yellow in color, closely similar to female. Yellow patches present in the hind wing, cloudy patches are yet to formed. Juvenile male can be confirmed by checking the Libellulidae species anal appendages and also the segments 9-10 are constrained. 

The female

The females are similar to juvenile male. Ground color yellow, yellow patches present in the hind wing, the abdominal segments 9-10 are dilated, anal appendages are well spread.  

17. Crocothemis servilia (Drury, 1773)

17. Crocothemis servilia (Drury, 1773)

Number: 17

Family: Libellulidae

Genus: Crocothemis 

Species: Crocothemis servilia (Drury, 1773) 

Common name: Ruddy Marsh Skimmer
Habitat: Lakes, ponds and rivers

Distribution: All over Bangladesh

Abundance: Common 

Flight Season: February - December

Ruddy Marsh Skimmer is one the most common and beautiful dragonflies of Bangladesh, found all over the country and flights almost all of the season of the year.  

Male

The males are red in color, legs are red, wings are transparent, amber tinted in the hind wing base. Black continuous stripe travel from abdominal segments 1-10, anal appendages are red too.   

I have photographed this two male from Chittagong University campus in my last field trip. The males are often confused with Greater crimson glider (Urothemis signata) male, of which the species can be distinguish by comparing the dorsal black abdominal stripe, which is constricted to the last three segments of the abdomen.

Dorsal view of the spectacular male I have sighted in March, 2015.

The immature male is orange in color. I have sighted the male in March, 2015 from Sylhet.

The juvenile male is yellow in color and very similar to female. That's why distinguishing male- female based on color only is wrong strategy. Anal appendages can be helpful an easily identify the male.

  

Crocothemis servilia changes its color from yellow to orange to red as they progress to their adulthood. 

Female

Females are like juvenile male and often confusing. However they can be identified by comparing the terminal segments and anal appendages.

The females are grayish color with prominent black stripe in the dorsal region of the abdomen. Yellow amber in the hind wing is noticeable and the legs are also yellowish.

 I have sighted the above and below females from Chittagong University campus in April, 2014. Opaque lateral stripe present in the abdominal segments.    

16. Mortonagrion aborense (Laidlaw, 1914)

16. Mortonagrion aborense (Laidlaw, 1914)

Number: 16

Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Mortonagrion

Species: Mortonagrion aborense (Laidlaw, 1914)

Common name: N/A 

Habitat: Lake, pond, streams 

Distribution: Sylhet

Abundance: Common

Flight Season: May- January (by me)

Mortonagrion aborense is quiet common in the ponds and lakes of Sylhet. They are often sighted perching in the reeds and grasses associated to the water bodies.

                                                              Male

The males are black and blue in color. The eyes are black and blue capped, blue post ocular spot present. Thorax black with blue antehumeral stripe present. Abdominal segments 1-2 are laterally blue, 3-7 are black, segment 8 ventrally blue, while segments 9-10 are completely blue. Anal appendages are black.      

                                                                Female

The females are like juvenile male. Eyes are black with yellow capped, black antehumeral stripe present. Wings are transparent. The females can be distinguished from male easily by the presence of the blue dorsal stripe in the terminal segments 7-10. 

  

15. Aciagrion Pallidum (Selys, 1891)

15. Aciagrion Pallidum (Selys, 1891)

Number: 15

Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Aciagrion

Species: Aciagrion pallidum (Selys, 1891)

Common name: N/A 

Habitat: Stream associated forest patches 

Distribution: Sylhet

Abundance: Not very common

Flight Season: December- January (by me)

Aciagrion pallidum is the first Aciagrion species sighted by me from Bangladesh. 

Male  

The spetacular male has azure blue thorax with brown antehumeral stripe. The wings are clear, legs whitish. Abdominal segments 1-2 are laterally, segments 3-7 are black with basal azure blue ring, segemnts 8-10 are blue. 

  

Female 

The females are very shy and difficult to catch, they often perched in the shaded region of the forest. This female I captured from the tilagor eco park of Sylhet. The females can be distinguished by their anal appendages. Thorax is bluish with dark brown antehumeral stripe, abdominal segments 1-7 are laterally gray and dorsally black, Segments 8-10 are grey.

14. Prodasineura autumnulis (Fraser, 1922)

14. Prodasineura autumnulis (Fraser, 1922)

Number: 14

Family: Protoneuridae
Genus: Platycnemididae

Species: Prodasineura autumnulis (Fraser, 1922)

Common name: Black threadtail

Habitat: Stream 

Distribution: Chittagong 

Abundance: Not very common

Flight Season: October (by  me)

During my last visit in the Kaptai National Park, Chittagong, I have sighted the beautiful species. In the stream there were lots of them perching on the reeds. Later the after taking a good look of the photographs I have found the species is Prodasineura autumnulis. 

                                                                Male

The male is black and can be found easily near the stream water. The eyes are black, thorax black dorsally, yellow antehumeral stripe present. The wings are transparent and the abdominal segments are black.

   

13. Vestalis gracilis (Rambur, 1842)

13. Vestalis gracilis (Rambur, 1842)

Number: 13

Family: Calopterygidae
Genus: Vestalis

Species: Vestalis gracilis (Rambur, 1842)

Common name: Clear wing forest glory

Habitat: Stream associated forest patches

Distribution: Chittagong, Sylhet 

Abundance: Not very common

Flight Season: February, March,  August,  October and December (by  me)

One of the incredible beautiful creature found in the forest patches associated with stream. The spectacular species often found perching in the green trees, hence makes it difficult to sight and capture them.   

Male

The male is metalic green in color, the legs are long, black often pruinosed, eyes and thorax is green, thorax has yellow stripe, wings are transparent, abdomen slender, dark green in colour.   

Female

The females are metalic green too, hence distinguishing females from male is not a simple task. However, females can be separated by the swollen segments 9 and 10 and also by observing the anal appendages.   

12. Libellago lineata (Burmeister, 1839)

12. Libellago lineata (Burmeister, 1839)

Number: 12

Family: Chlorocyphidae
Genus: Libellago 

Species: Libellago lineata (Burmeister, 1839)

Common name: Stream Heliodor  

Habitat: Stream

Distribution: Chittagong, Sylhet 

Abundance: Common in stream 

Flight Season: May - November

Libellago lineata (Burmeister, 1839) is one of the common damselfly species found in the stream of the north east and south east region of Bangladesh. 

Male

Male are yellow and black, wings are transparent with black tip. Legs are black, abdominal segments 1-8 are yellow with black dorsal and lateral black patch, Segment 9-10 and anal appendages are black.

They are common in the hilly stream. I have sighted the species from Sylhet and Chittagong. 

Female 

The females are yellow with dorsal and lateral black patches. Wings are transparent but unlike male the tips are clear.

11. Paragomphus lineatus (Selys, 1850)

Number: 11

Family: Gomphidae

Genus: Paragomphus  

Species: Paragomphus lineatus (Selys, 1850) 

Common name: Lined hooktail

Habitat: Lakes, ponds and bushes

Distribution: Dhaka, Chittagong 

Abundance: Not very Common 

Flight Season: February - November


Paragomphus lineatus (Selys, 1850) is previously known from Afganistan, India, Iran, Nepal, Tutkey and Syria.

Male

I have sighted the male from Tilagor Eco park, Sylhet several times. The male specimen can be identified by its yellow hook shaped anal appendages. 

Female

I have observed female several times in different places of Sylhet notably Khadimnagar National Park, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) campus and Tilagr Eco Park. The thorax is yellow with black antehumeral stripe, wings are transparent, abdomen yellow with black dorsal stripe in the abdominal segments 3-8. 

10. Urothemis signata (Rambur, 1842)

Number: 10

Family: Libellulidae

Genus: Urothemis  

Species: Urothemis signata (Rambur, 1842) 

Common name: Greater crimson glider

Habitat: Lakes, ponds and bushes

Distribution: Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong 

Abundance: Common 

Flight Season: January - November


Urothemis signata (Rambur, 1842) is one of the common dragonflies of Bangladesh and widely distributed throughout the country.

                                                                   Male

The male is red in color, often seen perching on the shrubs associated to water bodies. Male can be distinguish from the similar species by the black legs and by the presence of discontinuous black dorsal black markings. 

I have also sighted a yellow colored male. However, whether the male is juvenile or it is another form I am not sure. I have sighted the male from the SUST campus on February 2015. The male were perching on the plants, top of the small hills.

The yellow male is similar to female, however they are devoid of the abdominal black ring. The legs are black, wings are transparent, amber spot in the hind wing base and black dorsal stripe in the segments 9-10 helps to distinguish from similar species. 

  

Female

The females are yellow colored with black rings in the abdomen. They are quiet similar to yellow male, hence terminal abdominal segments important to distinguish females from male.

Urothemis signata is a widely distributed species also known from Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.