Darkmouth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Darkmouth
Male Brachydiplax duivenbodei
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Synonyms
Perithemis duivenbodei Brauer, 1866

The Darkmouth (Brachydiplax duivenbodei) is a cool type of dragonfly. It belongs to the family called Libellulidae. This dragonfly gets its common name, darkmouth, because of a special feature on its face. You can find this interesting insect in places like Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland in Australia.

What Does the Darkmouth Look Like?

Male darkmouths are usually a bright, powdery blue color. This blue covers both their chest area and their belly. Female darkmouths, however, do not have this powdery blue coating.

Why Is It Called "Darkmouth"?

The darkmouth dragonfly gets its name from its labrum, which is like its upper lip. This part of its mouth is brown to black. This is different from a similar dragonfly, the palemouth (Brachydiplax denticauda), which has a lighter-colored mouth.

Size and Wings

This dragonfly is quite small. Its wingspan, which is the distance from one wingtip to the other, is usually about 40 to 60 millimeters. That's about the length of a few paper clips! The darkmouth has special veins in its wings called antenodal crossveins. It usually has seven of these veins in its front wings and six in its back wings.

Even though the males are brightly colored, they can be hard to spot. This is because they often land on things like lily pads, where their blue color helps them blend in with their surroundings.

Where Does the Darkmouth Live?

You can find the darkmouth dragonfly in places where the water is still or moves very slowly. This includes ponds, lakes, and slow-moving parts of rivers. These quiet water spots are perfect for dragonflies to hunt and lay their eggs.

Gallery

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  This close-up shows the dark mouth of the dragonfly.

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  You can see the veins in the wings, including the antenodal crossveins.

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  A clear view of the male darkmouth's wings.