Slender tigertail facts for kids
The slender tigertail (Tonyosynthemis ofarrelli) is a cool type of Odonata. Odonata is a group of insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies. This special insect belongs to the Synthemistidae family. You can find the slender tigertail in Queensland, Australia, mostly along the eastern coast. They love to live near freshwater streams and rivers. This is also where these insects usually lay their eggs.
Quick facts for kids Slender tigertail |
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Life Cycle of the Slender Tigertail
As an adult, the slender tigertail is a skilled hunter. It eats smaller dragonflies and their young (larvae). Female tigertails lay their eggs right in or near streams.
Scientists have studied these insects a lot. In the 1990s, they collected samples of young tigertails (larvae) and their shed skins (called exuviae) in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia.
Where They Were Found
Researchers found these samples at several places. These included the Timbara River near Billyrimba, the Boonoo Boonoo Falls, and a spot called "The Bluff" along the Wilson River.
Scientists successfully collected shed skins from very young tigertails. They also found a female tigertail along the Wilson River. This female matched the description of a male Tonyosynthemis ofarrelli found earlier. This helped scientists confirm that the female specimen was indeed a slender tigertail.
What a Female Slender Tigertail Looks Like
The female slender tigertail that was found had a hindwing (back wing) that was about 34.2 millimeters long. Her body, called the abdomen, measured about 36.5 millimeters.
Her head was dark brown. She had a small yellow spot right below her eyes. Unlike the males, her wings did not have a yellow stripe in the middle. However, the base of her wings had a yellowish membrane.
Her abdomen was a bit flat. One part of her back (called a tergum) did not have a yellow spot. But other parts of her back did have different yellow patches.
Gallery
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Female wings
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Male wings
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