Black stream glider (Trithemis festiva) Rambur, 1842 - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

The black stream glider (Trithemis festiva), also known as the indigo dropwing is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is a very widespread species, occurring from Greece, Cyprus and Turkey, throughout Asia to New Guinea.

Description

Black stream glider is a medium-sized dragonfly with purple color on its body structure.

In the male, the frontal area appears darker purplish grey. The eyes are dark brown above, with a purple colored tinge, which is bluish grey, lateral and beneath. The thorax is black, covered with purple pruinescence, which helps it appear deep blue. The legs are black and wings are transparent with a dark opaque brown mark at the base of hind wing, with a black spot on tip of the wing. The abdomen is covered with fine blue pruinescence.

The female looks brown in the front and extends above. The eyes are dark brown above and appear more grey-ish below. Thorax is greenish-yellow to olivaceous, with the presence of a medial dark brown lateral stripe. In addition, a Y-shaped inverted stripes can be observed on the sides. Legs are black with anterior femora being yellow on the inner side. Wings are transparent with dark reddish-brown tip with a black spot, similar to the male. The abdomen appears bright yellow with medial, lateral and ventral stripes, colored black, however, the medial and lateral black stripes form a confluence at abdominal segments to enclose a wedge-shaped yellow spot.

Habitat

This dragonfly is commonly seen and has been mostly observed near slow flowing streams and canals, accompanying dense forest ranges. It usually perches on boulders adjacent to streams, rivers and canals. They have also been witnessed perched on tip of aquatic plants, dried plants and similar plants that grow near banks of a sluggish steam or river. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_stream_glider

Photo at Orkonta by George Konstantinou

Dark spreadwing. - Lestes macrostigma (Eversmann, 1836) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Lestes macrostigma is a species of damselfly of the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. It is known by the common name dark spreadwing. It is native to much of southern Europe, its distribution extending into western Asia.

Description

This species is up to 48 millimeters long. It is similar to other common Lestes species but it is darker in color with more blue pruinescence. The pterostigmata are large and black.

Distribution

This species has a wide distribution extending from the western coastlines of Europe into Central Asia and the Middle East. Much of its European range is in the Mediterranean. Its distribution is fragmented. It is more abundant in the eastern parts of its range, but abundance varies according to climate and weather. In some areas it is common and in others it is rare and sometimes endangered.

It is most common around brackish waters, like coastal estuaries and salty inland lakes.

Biology

This species has often been noted to lay its eggs on saltmarsh bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus). It will also utilize sea bulrush (Juncus maritimus) and common clubrush (Schoenoplectus lacustris).

After mating, the female usually seeks oviposition sites with the male still attached to her. She then lays a line of eggs in the fibers of the aquatic plant. The ovipositor has a cutting implement and sensory setae.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lestes_macrostigma

Photo at Akrotiri  7/4/2019 by George Konstantinou

Odalisque Damselfly - Epallage fatime (Charpentier, 1840) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Epallage fatime, the Oriental damselfly, is a damselfly (Zygoptera) from the family of the Euphaeidae (oriental damselflies).

Features

This is a strongly built damselfly, with a length of 40–50mm. Males are completely blue; only the top of the eyes and forehead are black. Females are yellowish white with dark markings. The abdomen segments have two long dark longitudinal spots on the top, giving the appearance of a narrow light stripe in the middle along the entire length of the abdomen. In specimens where the spots are smaller, this effect is less obvious.

It is the only damselfly in Europe to hold its wings straight out like a dragonfly. The length of the rear wing is 30–34mm. The pterostigma is long (the length of five cells below) and dark blue-grey in males, white or gray in females. In both males and females, the wing tip is usually dark from the pterostigma, but the size of that spot varies. In females, the base of the wings is often dark, but the size of that spot also shows great variation.

Behaviour

Both males and females are frequently seen resting on stones or branches near flowing water. The flight season in Cyprus in from early March to late August.

Distribution

The species occurs in Southeastern Europe, in particular Bulgaria, Greece, the islands of the Aegean Sea, Cyprus, Turkey and Israel, and further east to Kashmir.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epallage_fatime

Photos George Konstantinou 2021 Orkonta

                                                                              Female

Caliaeschna microstigma (Schneider, 1845) - Cyprus

Family: Aeshnidae

Range Description: Caliaeschna microstigma is an East Mediterranean species extending from the Balkans to Asia Minor, the Levant and Iran. An additional record originates from the very south of Turkmenistan. In Europe it ranges from the Adriatic coast of Croatia to the southern tips of Greece and Bulgaria. It is lacking in Crete, however, where it is replaced by Boyeria cretensis in similar habitats,

Population: Adults patrol continuously over the river bed and rather few are seen together. However remains of exuviae on the banks show that most of the localities produce an important population.

Caliaeschna microstigma is confined to stony brooks and small rivers which are at least partly shaded. The habitats are fast running with sections of stiller water where the larvae are present (Breuer and Douma-Petridou, 2000). The species is mostly found in hilly and mountainous regions from 0 to 1650 m a.s.l.


Major Threat(s): In most of the species' range, drying up of running waters due to rainfall deficit and direct piping at springs for irrigation and human consumption is the main threat for this species and has already resulted in local extinctions. This is expected to increase throughout the whole range of this species as wild piping is a usual process throughout the species range and is uncontrolled. Removal of gallery forests along brooks and rivers (forest fires, agriculture, building etc) will also lead to extinction of the species. From http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/165467/0

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Photos at Orkontas 8/5/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis

Red-veined dropwing - Trithemis arteriosa (Burmeister, 1839) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Trithemis arteriosa, the red-veined dropwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.

Trithemis arteriosa is widespread and common in most of its range which includes most of Africa and extends to western Asia and southern Europe. In Africa

This dragonfly is found in and near a wide variety of slow-flowing and still-water habitats. These include streams, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, irrigation canals and ditches.

The face of the mature male is deep red, the vertex and top of the frons having a purple sheen. The eyes are deep red and the labium deep yellow with a dark brown stripe in the centre. The synthorax is red with black stripes; mature males often have a purple bloom on the upper thorax.The wings have bright red veins and orange makings at their bases. The pterostigmas are 2.3-2.4 mm long and dark brown. The slender abdomen is bright red; S6-S8 have black wedges on each side; S9 and S10 are black. Females have similar markings, but the abdomen and face are yellow to yellowish brown. The sides of the synthorax are pale yellow-brown, as are the lower sides of S1-S3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Lefka 17/6/2016 by George Konstantinou

Red-veined darter - Sympetrum fonscolombii (Selys, 1840) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

The red-veined darter or nomad (Sympetrum fonscolombii) is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum. It is a common species in southern Europe and from the 1990s onwards has increasingly been found in northwest Europe, including Britain and Ireland. Its name is sometimes spelt fonscolombei instead of fonscolombii but Askew (2004) gives the latter as the correct spelling. There is genetic and behavioural evidence that S. fonscolombii is not closely related to the other members of the Sympetrum genus and will at some time in the future be removed from this genus.

Occurs in much of central and southern Europe including most Mediterranean islands, in Africa, the Middle East and south-western Asia including India, Sri Lanka, and Mongolia. In Europe it is resident in the south of its range but in some years it migrates northward and has been found as far north as Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Poland and northern England. It is the only libellulid to be found in the Azores and it is also found on the Canary Islands and Madeira.

It is found in all sorts of still water but being a migrant it is often found away from water. It has been seen flying over the sea.

S. fonscolombii can be seen on the wing throughout the year around the Mediterranean and in the south of its range, however, its main flight period is May to October and it is scarce during the winter months. It is a territorial species with the males often sitting on an exposed perch. After copulation the pair stay in tandem for egg laying and pairs can be seen over open water with the female dipping her abdomen into the water depositing eggs. Pairs are known to fly over the sea in tandem dipping into the salt water where the eggs soon perish. The eggs and larvae develop rapidly and S. fonscolombii unlike most other European dragonflies has more than one generation a year.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Lefka 17/6/2016 by George Konstantinou

Migrant hawker - Aeshna mixta (Latreille, 1805) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

The migrant hawker (Aeshna mixta) is one of the smaller species of hawker dragonflies. It can be found away from water but for breeding it prefers still or slow-flowing water and can tolerate brackish sites. The flight period is from July to the end of October. A. mixta occurs in North Africa, southern and central Europe to the Baltic region.
A. mixta is a small aeshna which appears dark in flight. It is similar in appearance to other aeshnas but has a characteristic "golf-tee" shaped mark on the second segment of the abdommen (S2) which is diagnostic. In flight it looks like a small Emperor dragonfly with a blue abdomen which, when seen from the side, curves down. The main identification problem in the field is distinguishing this species from A. affinis where the two species fly together. The markings on the side of the thorax are different in A. affinis and A. mixta. In A. affinis the sides of the thorax are greeny yellow with fine black lines along the sutures. In A. mixta the sides of the thorax are similar in colour but the yellow is separated by dark brown areas so it gives the appearance of having two broad yellow stripes.
A. mixta is found throughout central and southern Europe, north Africa, the Middle East and across Asia to China and Japan. As it is a migratory species it can occur outside its normal range and in recent years it has been spreading northwards. For example in the United Kingdom this insect was rare until the 1940s when it began migrating from the continent in large numbers. It continues to do so and is now a resident breeding species throughout England and Wales. It reached the Isle of Man in 1998 and Ireland in 2000. It breeds in lakes and ponds and is tolerant of brackish water. It is also found away from water hawking high amongst trees and bushes, but often resting low on vegetation. A specimen was discovered in early August 2011 adjacent to a riparian park in Calgary, Alberta.
A. mixta has been seen on the wing in all months of the year but most commonly from July to Late October or early November. After emergence, the immature adults fly away from water and spends their time feeding and becoming sexually mature. They are not territorial and they are often seen feeding or resting in groups, occasionally forming large feeding swarms. They can be found around trees and bushes quite high up. Once mature, they return to water and begin mating behaviour with the males patrolling looking for females. A. mixta males are less territorial than other male aeshnas. Males form a tandem pairing with a female on the wing and copulate. After mating the male and female split up and the female oviposits alone. The eggs develop and then enter dipause and it is as diapause eggs that A. mixta overwinter. In spring the eggs hatch into a prolarva which only lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes, the prolarva then molts into a stadium 2 larva. Larval development is rapid and adults emerge in summer. A. mixta is a univoltine species, that is to say that it completes its life-cycle in one year.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos  Achelia - Lower Ezousas, Paphos 18/11/2015 by George Konstantinou

Keeled skimmer - Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius, 1798) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

The keeled skimmer, Orthetrum coerulescens, is a species of European dragonfly. This species resembles the black-tailed skimmer but is slimmer and the male has no black tip. Females and immature males lack the black abdominal pattern. The pterostigma is orange and the thorax usually bears pale stripes. It breeds mainly in peat bogs and flies (in the UK) from June to September including places like Chudleigh Knighton Heath.

This dragonfly is common in central and southern Europe. It is locally common in western Britain and Ireland. Its typical habitat is acidic heath land, where it is often seen alongside golden-ringed dragonflies. Its flight is quite skittish, with frequent hovering, and it lands often. It can fly quite a distance from water, despite its seemingly weak flight. When it perches, the wings are held forward. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Nicosia by George Konstantinou

Violet dropwing, Violet-marked darter, Purple-blushed darter or Plum-coloured dropwing -Trithemis annulata (Beauvois, 1807) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Trithemis annulata, known commonly as the violet dropwing, violet-marked darter, purple-blushed darter or plum-coloured dropwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in most of Africa, in the Middle East, in the Arabian Peninsula and southern Europe. These insects are called dropwings because of their habit of immediately lowering their wings after landing on a perch. Males of this species are violet-red with red veins in the wings while females are yellow and brown. Both sexes have red eyes.
Trithemis annulata is a robust medium-sized species with a wingspan of 60 mm (2.4 in). The mature male has a dark red head and a yellow labium with brown central spot. The eyes are red with white spots on the rear edge, and the frons is dark metallic purplish-red. Theprothorax is violet with slightly darker longitudinal stripes. The membranous wings have distinctive red veins, the pterostigma is orange-brown and there is a large orange-brown splash at the base of the hind wings. The abdomen is fairly broad and is pinkish-violet, with purple markings on the top of each segment and blackish markings on the terminal three segments. Females are a similar size to males but the thorax is brownish and the abdomen is yellow with dark brown markings. The wings of females lack the red veins of males but have similar orange-brown patches. It is very similar in appearance to the red-veined dropwing (Trithemis arteriosa), but that species has a more slender abdomen and a wedge-shaped black area on either side of the tip of the abdomen.

Trithemis annulata is an adaptable species, and the adults are able to tolerate a range of habitats including semi-arid rangeland. They can be seen flying near sluggish rivers, in marshes and also beside still-water ponds. They are sometimes seen in brackish water habitats, although it is unclear whether they actually breed in salty water. The larvae develop rapidly, so these dragonflies are able to make use of temporary water bodies for breeding. Males are often to be seen perching on the twigs of waterside shrubs and on rocks in the sunshine, but in the evening or when the sun is obscured, they move into trees.

The female T. annulata is thought to deposit her eggs by flying over the surface and dipping the tip of her abdomen in the water. The larvae develop in water where they are aggressive predators. The adults are also predators, using their excellent eyesight to detect prey and their legs to hold and carry their victims. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Nicosia by George Konstantinou

Broad scarlet, Common scarlet-darter, Scarlet darter and Scarlet dragonfly - Crocothemis erythraea (Brullé, 1832) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Crocothemis erythraea is a species of dragonfly in the genus Crocothemis. Its common names include broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, scarlet darter and scarlet dragonfly
The adult male scarlet dragonfly has a bright scarlet red, widened abdomen, with small amber patches at the bases of the hindwings. Females and immatures are yellow-brown and have a conspicuous pale stripe along the top of the thorax
The scarlet dragonfly is a common species in southern Europe and north Africa. It is recorded from every country in Africa and occurs across Asia as far as southern China. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Kuklia Amochostou, 13/7/2015 by George Konstantinou

Eastern willow spreadwing - Lestes parvidens (Artobelevski 1929) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Chalcolestes parvidens, formerly Lestes parvidens, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name in English is the eastern willow spreadwing.
C. parvidens is found in eastern and central Europe, in Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Syria, Jordan, Israel and Turkey. It is found on islands in the eastern Mediterranean; on Cyprus, Corsica, Crete and Sicily. In Italy and the Balkans both C. parvidens and C. viridis occur together. It is only in the last 20 years that odonaterists have been separating C. parvidens from C. viridis so some of the older records for C. viridis will probably be for C. parvidens.
Flight period is from May to November. Behaviour is similar to that described in C. viridis. Mature males defend vertical territories in marginal shrubs and small trees where they find and mate with females in the normal damselfly manner forming the wheel position. Egg laying occurs with the pair in tandem, the eggs being laid into incisions in the bark of overhanging branches, not into submerged vegetation as is the case in many damselflies. Egg laying can result in distinct oval galls forming in the shrub's bark. The eggs develop rapidly for a few weeks and then enter a diapause state. In this state the eggs development is very slow and it is in this state that the eggs overwinter. The following spring the eggs hatch, the larvae drop into the water and start to develop. Growth is rapid and adults can emerge in a couple of months. After emerging the adults move away from water to mature. In this stage of their life-cycle which in C. parvidens is quite long, the immature adults cannot breed. The adults need a period of time for their reproductive organs to develop and this non-breeding period also stops the adults breeding too early in the season. If the females lay eggs early in the year the eggs will develop when it is to warm to for them to enter diapause. They might hatch out before winter and the resultant larva will die when winter temperatures occur. When fully mature the adults return to water and start breeding.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photo Latsia  by George Konstantinou

Lesser emperor - Anax parthenope (Sélys, 1839) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Anax parthenope, the lesser emperor, is a dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae. It is found in Southern Europe, north Africa, and Asia.
A. parthenope is smaller and less colourful than the Anax imperator. In general appearance, especially when seen on the wing, A. parthenope is similar to A. imperator but A. parthenope tends to hold its abdomen straighter than A. imperator. A large dragonfly seen in flight with a bent abdomen is most likely to be A. imperator rather than A. parthenope. A. parthenope has a blue saddle at S2 and S3 which can be seen in flight which is in contrast to the rest of the abdomen which is brown. There is a yellow rin at the base of S2. The eyes are green. It is similar to A. ephippiger although A. ephippiger is slightly smaller and slenderer and its blue saddle does not wrap around S2 but is mostly blue on top. A. ephippiger has brown eyes.
Occurs in much of southern and central Europe including most Mediterranean islands, across Asia to Japan and China, and north Africa. It has been found on the Canary islands and the Madeira archipelago. It is spreading north and was first seen in Great Britain in 1996 where it has since bred
In the south of its range A. parthenope can be on the wing in March. It is most commonly seen from June to September but can still be around in November. Often seen patrolling around ponds, lakes and other still water. Where it occurs with A. imperator it is usually less abundant. When A. parthenope and A. imperator occur at the same ponds A. imperator is dominant. Male and females mate in the normal dragonfly manner and after mating the pair stay in tandem and egg-laying usually occurs whilst still in tandem. This behaviour not seen in other European hawkers with the exception of Aeshna affinis, although two migrants to Europe, A. ephippiger and A. junius also oviposit in tandem. Eggs are inserted into plants or in mud and hatch out in two months. Larval development takes two years. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Athalassa  by George Konstantinou

Blue-tailed Damselfly - Ischnura elegans (Vander Linden, 1820). - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Adult male blue-tailed damselflies have a head and thorax patterned with blue and black. They have a largely black abdomen with very narrow pale markings where each segment joins the next. Segment eight, however, is entirely pale blue. At rest, the wings of most damselfly species are held back together, unlike dragonflies, which rest with their wings out flat. The thorax of juvenile males has a green tinge. A male can try to interfere with a mating pair, by attaching itself to the mating male.
Female blue-tailed Damselflies come in a variety of colour forms. Juveniles may be salmon pink, form rufescens; violet, form violaceaand a pale green form. The colour darkens as the damselfly ages. Mature females may be blue like the male, form typica; olive green thorax and brown spot, form infuscans or pale brown thorax and brown spot, form infusca-obseleta.
Damselfly nymphs are aquatic, and prey on small aquatic insects or other aquatic larvae. The adult damselflies prey on small flying insects, caught using their legs like a basket to scoop the prey up while flying, or insects taken from leaves.
 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Kouklia Amochostou,13/7/2015  by George Konstantinou

Common winter damselfly - Sympecma fusca (Vander Linden, 1820) - Cyprus

See also - List of Odonata of Cyprus - (Dragonflies and Damselflies of Cyprus)

Sympecma fusca, the common winter damselfly, is a damselfly that is found in much of central and southern Europe. It does not have the bright blue or red colouration that is more usual for damselflies so it is often overlooked. It is one of only two species of European dragonflies that overwinter as adult insects, the other being the related S. paedisca. It is a member of the Lestidae and related to the emeralds or spreadwings.
Although related to the Lestes 'spreadwing' damselflies, Sympecma rest with their wings alongside their bodies and do not have the metallic emerald green sheen that is characteristic of the Lestes. Sympecma have pale brown pterostigma on both forewing and hindwing and the pterostigma are nearer the wing tip on the forewing which means that both pterostigma can be seen — they do not overlap as in other damselflies. In the field this is easily seen and distinguishes Sympecma from all other damselflies. S. fusca is a nondescript damselfly that blends in with the dried grass stalks in which it overwinters but it is distinct from all other European damselflies except S. paedisca, so in most of its range there are no problems with identification. Where both S. fusca and S. paediscafly together careful examination of the adult, in the hand, preferably under magnification, is required to tell the two species apart. In the male the anal appendages are slightly different and there are subtle differences in the markings on the thorax in both sexes
This species is found all year round as it overwinter as an adult. In spring they mates and with the pairs still in tandem, the females oviposit in floating vegetation. Most reproductive behaviour occurs in April and May. The eggs hatch and the larvae develop rapidly in about 2 months. When the adults emerge they move away from water, often to heath or grassland a long distance from water, where they overwinter hidden amongst dried plant stems.
It is found much of central Europe stretching out to Asia where it is replaced by S. paedisca. It is found around the Mediterranean in Europe and North Africa and on many Mediterranean islands. It can be found in all types of standing water. In winter adults are found away from water on dry plant stems usually in open areas such as grassland and heaths. It was recorded for the first time in Britain in 2008.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

.PhotoS Potamia, 8/11/2015 by George Konstantinou