Pied paddy skimmer | |
---|---|
![]() |
|
Male | |
![]() |
|
Female | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Odonata |
Suborder: | Anisoptera |
Family: | Libellulidae |
Genus: | Neurothemis |
Species: | N. tullia |
Binomial name | |
Neurothemis tullia (Drury, 1773) |
|
Synonyms | |
|
Neurothemis tullia, the pied paddy skimmer, is a species of dragonfly found in south and south-east Asia. It appears in Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia), Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam.
It is a black dragonfly with a pale yellow mid-dorsal carina of thorax. Wings are hyaline for apical half and opaque steely blue-black for basal half which is bordered by a milky white patch towards the tip. Females differ remarkably from the males both in body-colouring and markings and in marking of the wings. Its body is greenish yellow with a bright yellow mid-dorsal carina of thorax. Base of wings are amber yellow followed by a blackish brown patch. Apices of all wings are broadly opaque blackish brown and the reaming halves are pale yellow.
It breeds in marshes, well vegetated ponds, lakes and rice fields. It perches very close to ground and its flight is very weak.
Young male
Male
Mating pair