Black marsh skimmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black marsh skimmer |
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Indothemis
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| Species: |
carnatica
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| Synonyms | |
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The Indothemis carnatica, also known as the black marsh skimmer or light-tipped demon, is a type of dragonfly. It belongs to the Libellulidae family, which is a group of dragonflies often called "skimmers." You can find this interesting insect in countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Contents
About the Black Marsh Skimmer
This dragonfly is quite small. It usually has a dark, purplish-black or brownish-black body. You might see faint yellow patterns on it.
How to Spot a Male Dragonfly
Adult male dragonflies often look dark purplish. Their upper body, called the thorax, is brownish-black. It often has a powdery coating. This coating makes it look uniformly dark purple. Younger males, however, are more yellowish. Their lower body, the abdomen, is also dark purple. It has faint yellow markings. The tips of their tail parts are pale yellow with black ends.
How to Spot a Female Dragonfly
Female `Indothemis carnatica` look very different from the males. Their thorax is golden-yellow on top. The sides are pale greenish-yellow. They have a light brown stripe on their shoulders. Their abdomen is golden-yellow on top. It fades to greenish-yellow on the sides. It also has black and reddish-brown markings. There is a thin, broken stripe along their back. This stripe goes from the second body segment to the end. Another stripe is black in the middle. It is brown at its edges. This stripe also goes from segment two to nine. It gets wider at the end. It then joins the other stripe. The very last segment, number 10, is yellow. It has narrow black edges. Their tail parts are pale yellow with black tips.
Where They Live and Breed
The black marsh skimmer likes to breed in certain places. You can find them in ponds and lakes. These water bodies usually have a lot of weeds growing in them.
More About Dragonflies
- List of odonates of Sri Lanka
- List of odonates of India
- List of odonata of Kerala
