Vestalis apicalis,[2] or the black-tipped forest glory,[3][4] is a species of damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It is found in India and Sri Lanka.[1][5]

Black-tipped forest glory
Male
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Calopterygidae
Genus: Vestalis
Species:
V. apicalis
Binomial name
Vestalis apicalis
Sélys, 1873

Subspecies edit

V. apicalis apicalis is commonly found in the hill streams of Western Ghats. Two more subspecies are recognised; V. a. nigrescens Fraser 1929 from Sri Lanka and V. a. submontana Fraser 1934 from India. Records of V. a. submontana are from the Nilgiri Hills and Eastern Ghats. V. a. nigrescens is confined to Sri Lanka, where it appears to be quite widely distributed.[1] V. a. submontana is now considered as a separate species Vestalis submontana.[2][6][7]

Description and habitat edit

It is a large metallic emerald-green colored damselfly with brown capped yellowish green eyes. The apices of all wings are broadly tipped with blackish-brown. Female is similar to the male; but dull colors and the apical marking usually paler and less sharply defined. It breeds in forest streams. Commonly seen as a group rest among bushes in forest paths and shades together with Vestalis gracilis.[8][9][10][3][4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Dow, R.A. (2009). "Vestalis apicalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T163741A5644374. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T163741A5644374.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. (2023). "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral, University of Alabama. Retrieved 14 Mar 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Vestalis apicalis Selys, 1873". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  4. ^ a b "Vestalis apicalis Selys, 1873". Odonata of India, v. 1.00. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  5. ^ K.A., Subramanian; K.G., Emiliyamma; R., Babu; C., Radhakrishnan; S.S., Talmale (2018). Atlas of Odonata (Insecta) of the Western Ghats, India. Zoological Survey of India. pp. 68–69. ISBN 9788181714954.
  6. ^ M. Hamalainen. "NOTES ON THE TAXONOMIC STATUS OF VESTALIS SUBMONTANA ERASER, 1934 FROM SOUTH INDIA (ZYGOPTERA: CALOPTERYGIDAE)" (PDF). caloptera.com. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  7. ^ M. Hamalainen. "Calopterygoidea of the World" (PDF). caloptera.com. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  8. ^ Subramanian, K. A. (2005). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Peninsular India - A Field Guide.
  9. ^ C FC Lt. Fraser (1934). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma, Odonata Vol. II. Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, London: Taylor and Francis. pp. 128–130.
  10. ^ C FC Lt. Fraser (1924). A Survey of the Odonate (Dragonfly) Fauna of Western India and Descriptions of Thirty New Species (PDF). p. 479.

External links edit

  Data related to Vestalis apicalis at Wikispecies

  Media related to Vestalis apicalis at Wikimedia Commons