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Yellow-tipped tigertail facts for kids

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Yellow-tipped tigertail
Choristhemis flavoterminata 1.jpg
Female
Yellow-tipped Tigertail flank (16521682385).jpg
Male
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Genus:
Choristhemis
Species:
flavoterminata
Choristhemis flavoterminata distribution map.svg
Synonyms
  • Eusynthemis paradoxa
    Förster, 1908
  • Synthemis flavoterminata
    Martin, 1901

The Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata) is a type of dragonfly. It lives in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. This dragonfly belongs to the Synthemistidae family.

These dragonflies like warm, wet places. You can often find them near rivers. They also lay their eggs there. Some Yellow-tipped Tigertails are kept at Museum Victoria.

Life Cycle

Early Life of a Dragonfly

When a Yellow-tipped Tigertail egg hatches, a tiny larva comes out. These larvae are about 7.5 millimeters (mm) long. Their heads are about 4.1 mm wide. Their bodies are light gray or brown. As they grow, their color gets darker.

Young larvae hide in the mud to stay safe. But some underwater animals can dig through the mud. These predators might eat the larvae. Once they grow bigger, Yellow-tipped Tigertail larvae become hunters. They eat smaller bugs in the water.

Body Features

What a Yellow-tipped Tigertail Looks Like

An adult Yellow-tipped Tigertail is about 47 mm long. Its body is long and thin. It has a bright yellow spot at the very end of its body.

Its wings have a light brown color. There is also a dark brown rectangular spot on each wing.

Playing Dead

Yellow-tipped Tigertails have a cool trick. If they get scared, they might pretend to be dead. They fold their legs close to their bodies. They stay still until they feel safe again. Then, they quickly fly away. They often do this when they are lying on their back or front.

Gallery

  • Yellow-tipped Tigertail (16521661665)

    Male Yellow-tipped Tigertail

  • Yellow-tipped Tigertail flank (16335737737)

    Wings of a Yellow-tipped Tigertail

  • Yellow-tipped Tigertail lateral detail (16334225930)

    Side view of the dragonfly

  • Yellow-tipped Tigertail tail lateral (16335399029)

    Male's tail

  • Choristhemis flavoterminata Blue Mountains

    A male in the Blue Mountains

  • Tiger ventral (16387265835)

    Male, seen from below

  • Yellow island mating (16201352817)

    Mating pair, with the male on top

  • Yellow-tipped Tigertail female ovipositing (16495595546)

    Female laying her eggs in a shallow stream

  • Choristhemis flavoterminata female wings (34927978361)

    Female's wings

  • Choristhemis flavoterminata male wings (34927981981)

    Male's wings

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