Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798) 黄蜻 (薄翅蜻蜓)

Pantala flavescens (Fabricius, 1798)

Wandering glider, Common skimmer, Liblulas

http://www.asia-dragonfly.net/globalResults.php?Species=1407&offset=0

http://www.bjbug.com/insect/odonata/htm/od00008.htm

Found in Asia: Bangladesh, China, Caucasus, Guandong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Hainan, Indonesia, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lao, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Russian Federation, Southern Far East Russia, South Siberia, Thailand, Taiwan, Viet Nam

Sub-Order: ANISOPTERA

Super-Family: LIBELLULOIDEA

Family: LIBELLULIDAE

Wing Deformation
On 30-1-2007 8:54 AM while other newly emerged Pantala flavescens in this drain already made their maiden flights to far away tree tops, this femal Pantala flavescens still cling on her exuvia. A close look reviewed why...

Pantala flavescens, known as Wandering Glider or Globe Skimmer, is a wide-ranging dragonfly found worldwide in the tropics, as well as in temperate zones of North America and Eurasia.

A study of the gut contents of adults feeding over rice fields in Bangladesh showed that their diet consisted mainly of mosquitoes.

Breeds in small, shallow, often temporary pools. Adults frequently are observed far from water.

Pantala flavescens is the most wide ranging odonate species in the world, being found throughout the tropics and subtropics of all continents. It is a fairly large for a libellulid ( hw, 40-44 mm). The hindwing is broad at the base and strongly pointed towards the apex. There is normally a small but definite brown mark at the tip of the hindwing. Fully mature males acquire a reddish tinge to the abdomen, but otherwise both males and females are overall dull brownish-yellow. It breeds mainly in temporary waters and ponds and may be present in many hundreds in open areas, along roads and around cleared hilltops far from water. However it also occurs almost anywhere in exposed situations, including mountain tops in dense primary forest up to at least 3000 m. I have even seen a female fly well into the forest up a clear swift stream and oviposit in a turbulent pool, although this behaviour is highly unusual for the species. It is more aerial in habits than most libellulids, perching infrequently.

Males patrol territories about 30–150 ft (9–45 m) in length. After mating, the male remains in tandem while the female lays her eggs. Females oviposit by tapping the surface of the water with the tip of the abdomen. Larval development is rapid, an adaptation that allows for the use of temporary pools (including swimming pools) as breeding sites.