Odonate Fauna of Rajasthan, India with Links to Arabia and Himalaya - Aquatic Ecosystem: Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation - page 135

Mumbai and Khandala), Manipur, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Puducherry (Mahe
and Yanam dist.), Punjab (Hoshiarpur and Ropar
dists.), Sikkim, Tamil Nadu (Chennai), Tripura,
Uttarakhand (Dehra Dun, Nainital, and Pauri
dists. and Rajaji National Park), Uttar Pradesh
and West Bengal (Darjeeling).

India
Jammu and Kashmir.

Habitat
It is mostly confi ned to shallow standing waters
that are unshaded. It is a strong migrant and
probably has a short larval phase which allows
it to reproduce in ephemeral (short-lived) water
bodies.

Habitat
It breeds in marshes, ponds, lakes etc. In parts of
its range, it appears to be a pioneer species, colo-
nising new created ponds and wetlands. It is tol-
erant of disturbance.

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern.

Threats
Developmental activities could be a threat
to the species, but being adapted to reproduce
in ephemeral water conditions will therefore
be less impacted by climate change than
other species.

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern.
Genus: Selysiothemis Ris, 1897
(Subfamily: Urothemistinae Lieftinck, 1954)

38. Selysiothemis nigra (Vander Linden, 1825)

Remarks
The most distinguishing features of the species
are the size of the wings (very large and broad for
such a small dragonfl y) and the shape of the
pterostigma, which resembles an equals (=) sign.
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Chlorocyphidae Cowley, 1937
Genus: Libellago Selys, 1840

English Names
Black Pennant, Desert Darter.

Description
Big body and head, whitish pale, clear and shiny
wings (veins diffi cult to locate). As fl utter its
wings in breeze and hence the name 'Pannant'.
The species' most distinguishing features are the
size of the wings (they're very large and broad for
such a small dragonfl y) and the shape of the
pterostigma, which resembles an equals sign.
Male: Uniformly black, although they do
develop a whitish pruinescence on their thorax
and abdomen.
Abdomen 21.0-23.0, hindwing 25.0-29.0 mm
(Fraser 1936 ).
Females and immature males have a
yellowish-brown or sandy-brown thorax and
abdomen with extensive black markings.
Abdomen 11.0-20.0, hindwing 22.0-26.0 mm
(Fraser 1936 ), abdn. 18.0, fwing. 22.0-25.0,
hwing. 21.5-24.0 mm (Prasad 2004a ).

39. Libellago lineata lineata (Burmeister, 1839)

English Name
River Heliodor.

Description
Small-sized black and yellow damselfl y with
black-tipped transparent wings.
Male: Beautifully marked with yellow-orange
and black with white-stockinged leg.
Abdomen 15.0, hindwing 17.0 mm (Fraser
1934 ), abdn. 15.0, fwing. 16.5, hwing. 16.5 mm
(Prasad 1996a , b ), abdn. 13.0-17.0, hwing. 17.0-
20.0 mm (Subramanian 2009 ).
Female: Paler and more greenish in colour.
Abdomen 13.0-16.0, hindwing 18.0-22.0 mm
(Fraser 1934 ), abdn. 14.5-15.0, fwing. 16.0,
hwing. 15.5-16.0 mm (Prasad 1996a , b ), abdn.
13.0-17.0, hwing. 17.0-20.0 mm (Subramanian
2009 ).

Distribution

Rajasthan
Thar Desert; Sam area, Jaisalmer dist., Desert
National Park; Jodhpur; Kaylana lake.