Tholymis tillarga

Tholymis tillarga,^[3] the coral-tailed cloudwing,^[4][5] is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.^[6] It is found from tropical West Africa to Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands.^{[1][7][8][9][10]} Common names include old world twister, evening skimmer, crepuscular darter, foggy-winged twister and twister.^[1][11]

Tholymis tillarga
male
female
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Infraorder:	Anisoptera
Family:	Libellulidae
Genus:	Tholymis
Species:	T. tillarga
Binomial name
Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798)[2]
Synonyms
Libellula bimaculata Desjardins, 1835 Libellula pallida Palisot de Beauvois, 1805 Libellula tillarga Fabricius, 1798 Tholymis paratillarga Singh & Prasad, 1980

Description and habitat

It is a medium sized dragonfly with reddish eyes, yellowish red thorax and coral red abdomen. Its wings are transparent; but hind wings have a golden-brown patch in the base, bordered by a cloudy-white patch. Female is brown and lacks the cloudy-white patch in the hind-wings.^[12][13]

It is a migrant with a permanent presence in humid parts of the tropics. It breeds in standing water-bodies; and prefers weedy ponds, swamps and lakes. They are active at dusk and dawn, as well as during cloudy days.^[12][4][5]

Gallery

• 
  Male showing white patches in wings
• 
  Male
• 
  Male flying
• 
  Young male with little colouring in his wings
• 
  Young male viewed from under
• 
  Young male
• 
  Young female
• 
  Young female
• 
  Adult female
• 
  Old female
• 
  Females without white patches in wings
• 
  Female wings
• 
  Male wings

See also

• List of odonates of Sri Lanka
• List of odonates of India
• List of odonata of Kerala
• List of Odonata species of Australia