Vestalis gracilis

Clear-winged forest glory
Male
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Calopterygidae
Genus: Vestalis
Species: V. gracilis
Binomial name
Vestalis gracilis
Rambur, 1842

Vestalis gracilis,[2][3] is a species of damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It is known commonly as the clear-winged forest glory[4][5] or clear-winged flash-wing.[4] It is native to Southeast Asia and surrounding regions.[1]

Description

The male and female are similar in size; the male having an abdomen 45 to 46 millimeters long and a hindwing 34 to 38 millimeters long and the female with an abdomen 43 to 50 millimeters long and a hindwing 36 to 39 millimeters long.[6][7][4][5]

The male is iridescent green with a yellow and black underside. It has brown legs and blue-tinged transparent wings. The eyes are dark brown above and greenish yellow below. The female is duller greenish brown in color.[6][7][4]

Habitat

This is a common species across much of its range. It breeds in forest streams, often in disturbed and cultivated areas too.[1] Commonly seen as a group rest among bushes in forest paths and shades together with Vestalis apicalis.[6][7][4]

Subspecies

A subspecies, V. g. montana Fraser, 1934, has been described from Western Ghats of South India.[1] It is now synonymised with V. a. submontana and is considered as a separate species Vestalis submontana.[2][8][3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dow, R.A. (2009). "Vestalis gracilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2009: e.T163667A5632782. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T163667A5632782.en. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  2. 1 2 "World Odonata List". Slater Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2017-02-19.
  3. 1 2 M. Hamalainen. "Calopterygoidea of the World" (PDF). caloptera.com. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Vestalis gracilis Rambur, 1842". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  5. 1 2 "Vestalis gracilis Rambur, 1842". Odonata of India, v. 1.00. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  6. 1 2 3 Subramanian, K. A. (2005). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Peninsular India - A Field Guide.
  7. 1 2 3 C FC Lt. Fraser (1936). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma, Odonata Vol. III. Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, London: Taylor and Francis.
  8. ↑ M. Hamalainen. "NOTES ON THE TAXONOMIC STATUS OF VESTALIS SUBMONTANA ERASER, 1934 FROM SOUTH INDIA (ZYGOPTERA: CALOPTERYGIDAE)" (PDF). caloptera.com. Retrieved 2017-02-20.

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