Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842)

Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842) ID Source : \| http://www.bjbug.com \| http://sjl.csie.chu.edu.tw \|
This damselfly found in Bangladesh, China, Guandong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Hainan, Indonesia, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Viet Nam
Sub-Order: ZYGOPTERA	Super-Family: COENAGRIONOIDEA	Family: COENAGRIONIDAE
Photo, Diagram and Text by : Wong 2007 Location : Sabah

Other blue damselflies of Sabah :


Elattoneura coomansi	Euphaea impar	Rhinocypha humeralis	Rhinocypha aurofulgens


Ischnura senegalensis	Lestes praemorsus decipiens	Libellago semiopaca	Xiphiagrion cyanomelas

Egg-parasitoids wasps of Ischnura senegalensis

http://www.tombon.com

Color variation of mature Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842)

From these ten mating pairs of Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842) the females have a color variation of 3 different colors: 1) Green 2) Orange and 3) Blue

And the 10 males have two variant color : 1) Green and 2) Greenish Blue

Ischnura senegalensis is very widely distributed and common at open drains, lakes and ponds. It is small (hw 15-16 mm) but robustly built. The pale green sides of the thorax are prominent.

Females occur in 3 color forms : BLUE, GREEN and ORANGE

Ischnura senegalensis is easily confused with females of Aciagrion borneense, both shares some features of color and pattern.

14 June 2007

Ischnura senegalensis emerging from Nymph

As I stroll alongside a pond I spotted this sight which I longed for -- emerging of a damselfly from its nymph.....

24 February 2007

A louse (lice) on the right leg of this copulating female Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842)

Lice parasite on most birds and mammals including human. But parasite on a damselfly is rare.

There are over 3000 species of these wingless parasitic insects. Is there a possibility that this is a new species of damselfly-lice ?

I also found a louse on the eye of a cicada on 3 October 2006.
The size and body shape of these 2 lice are similar, execept that the one on this damselfly has longer legs. Lice on birds are common because birds have feather, warm body temperature and blood which is the food of lice. But on cicada and damselfly is seldom heard of because both insects have not blood to feed the lice.

This female is joining in a pair and rest on plant for a long time. (Ischnura senegalensis is known to copulate for hours and hours). She must have contacted this louse from the plant they visited. And this louse made a mistake because damselfly has no warm blood that it looking for.

Oviposition of Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842)

Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842) is a species that oviposits alone. But most other damselflies remain in tandem pairs while the female lay eggs

The 3 colors of female Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842)

Female Ischnura senegalensis came in 3 colors : 1) Green 2) Blue and 3) Orange. The most common color found is Green

雌蟲有 1) 正常形,2) 同色形及 3) 赤色形三種.

正常形的雌蟲其體色亦以綠色為主,但較雄蟲顯得灰暗,腹部第89節無藍色之斑紋.

同色形的雌蟲則與雄蟲一模一樣,

赤色型的雌蟲其體色以橙紅色為主,腹部背面為黑色.腹面則為黃綠色


綠色正常形	藍色同色形	赤色形
以綠色為主,但較雄蟲顯得灰暗,腹部第8,9節無藍色之斑紋.	與雄蟲一模一樣.腹部第8,9節藍色斑紋.	橙紅色為主,腹部背面為黑色.腹面則為黃綠色

OVIPOSITOR (pair of pointed organs at tip of abdomen) used to dig a hole in soil and deposit eggs.

Above diagram show detail ovipositor reproductive system of a female Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842) and how the ovipositor position with the male during copulation

*How long does an Ischnura senegalensis* (Rambur, 1842) damselfly get its adult color?**
	4 Jan 2007 2:19PM Newly emerged from exuvia cast skin. Still in its muted colors. 2 green tumors on its wings making it unable to fly
	3:50 PM 90 minutes later this young male gain his bright adult color. The 2 jelly-like green tumors still remain
	The next day 9:54AM 19 hours later his pale blue abdomen tip has turned sky blue. The 2 green tumors have dried up over the night but leaving scars on both wings clearly visible. More photo detail...

How long do Dragonflies get their adult color?

When dragonflies and damselflies first emerge from their water-borne larval stage, most have very muted colors. Depending on weather conditions, it can take a few to a few days for them to gain their bright adult color.

A male Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842) takes only 2 hours to transform from pale greenish to its bright green-black-blue adult color.

Common Blue damselflies are often a pale pinkish-brown rather than sky-blue on first emergence. Some damselflies, Blue-tailed are a good example, undergo a gradual color change as they age. The females have several different color forms, some change from violet to rich brown, others from salmon-pink to blue. Some old females may start to develop the coloration of the males. Examples are Common Darter, which goes from yellow-brown to reddish brown, and Black-tailed Skimmer, which goes from yellow-brown to a bluish-grey.

INDEX : Dragonfly July 11, 2008 01:32:22 PM