Golden dartlet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden dartlet |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| male | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
The golden dartlet (also known as the aurora bluetail) is a small, colorful insect. It's a type of damselfly that belongs to the family Coenagrionidae. Damselflies are often confused with dragonflies, but they are usually smaller and hold their wings differently when resting.
Contents
What Does a Golden Dartlet Look Like?
Golden dartlets are small and often apple green. They have black stripes on their chest area and a yellow tail with a blue tip.
Male Golden Dartlets
Male golden dartlets have eyes that look like a black half-moon on top. Below that, their eyes are olive green, fading to pale olive. They also have two bright blue spots behind their eyes.
Their chest area (thorax) is shiny black with two pale green stripes. The sides of their body are light green, and their underside is white. Their legs are pale greenish-white.
Their wings are clear and see-through. The wing spots are different on their front and back wings. On the front wings, the spot is rose-red. On the back wings, it's a uniform pale grey.
The male's abdomen (tail part) is bright reddish-yellow. The second segment and the seventh segment have black marks on top. The eighth and ninth segments are blue on top.
Female Golden Dartlets
Female golden dartlets have brown half-moon shaped caps on their eyes. Below that, their eyes are green to pale green.
Their chest area is shiny black with two orange stripes. The sides of their body are pale green. Their legs are pale white with black stripes on the upper part.
A wide black stripe runs along the top of the female's abdomen. Unlike the males, segments 8 to 10 of the female's abdomen do not have blue markings.
Where Do Golden Dartlets Live?
Golden dartlets like to live near water. You can find them among plants along the edges of ponds, rivers, and canals. They also live in marshes and wet rice fields.
Where in the World Are They Found?
Golden dartlets are found in many places across the world. They live in Australia, the Pacific Islands, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Scientists have found that golden dartlets from Asia have different DNA from those in the Pacific. This means they are slightly different groups. There's also a form found in the Indian subcontinent and Iran that was once called Ischnura aurora rubilio. However, scientists now consider this a separate kind of damselfly, called Ischnura rubilio.
Gallery
-
Male in Australia
-
Illustration of Ischnura aurora wing
-
Photo of female wings
-
Photo of male wings
.jpg)
.jpg)
