Saffron reedtail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saffron reedtail |
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Suborder: | Zygoptera |
| Family: | Platystictidae |
| Genus: | Indosticta Bedjanic, 2016 |
| Species: |
I. deccanensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Indosticta deccanensis (Laidlaw, 1915)
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| Synonyms | |
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The saffron reedtail, known scientifically as Indosticta deccanensis, is a type of damselfly. Damselflies are like small, delicate dragonflies. This special insect lives only in the Western Ghats mountain range in India. This makes it an "endemic" species, meaning it's found nowhere else in the world!
This damselfly was once called Platysticta deccanensis. However, scientists studied its DNA and body features. They found it was different from other damselflies in the Platysticta group. That group mainly lives in Sri Lanka. So, scientists created a new group, or genus, called Indosticta just for the saffron reedtail.
Contents
What Does the Saffron Reedtail Look Like?
The saffron reedtail is a medium-sized damselfly. It has a bluish-white face. Its brown eyes have a black cap on top. The main part of its body, called the thorax, is a warm cinnamon brown color. It has a thin black line down the middle of its back.
Its wings are clear and see-through. They have a yellowish-red spot near the tip called a pterostigma. This spot is outlined with black lines. The damselfly's long body, or abdomen, is dark brown for most of its length. But segments 8 and 9 are a bright azure blue. These blue parts have a black border underneath. The very last segment, number 10, is blackish-brown. Its tail parts, called anal appendages, are black.
Female Saffron Reedtails
Female saffron reedtails look very much like the males. However, their thorax might have some darker patches on the top and sides. They also have a thin, pale blue stripe near their shoulders. Another similar blue stripe borders a black area on their sides.
The female's abdomen is similar to the male's. But her eighth segment is plain, without any marks. Her ninth segment has a large, oval-shaped pale blue spot on the top and side.
Where Does the Saffron Reedtail Live?
The saffron reedtail likes to live near special places called Myristica swamps. These are unique, wet forests. It also lives near streams that have lots of plants growing along their banks. These plants create dense, shady areas.
Scientists first found this damselfly in the Kingdom of Cochin. More recently, they have also found populations of this species in Kodaku. You can often spot them resting on ferns in dark, shady spots deep within the forests.
See also
- List of odonates of India
- List of odonata of Kerala
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