Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798) Evening Skimmer

Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798)

Evening Skimmer/The Coral-tailed Cloudwing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tholymis_tillarga

ID Source http://www.asia-dragonfly.net
ID Source http://tombon.com

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Found in Bangladesh, China, Guandong, Hong Kong, Hainan, Indonesia, India, Japan, Lao, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Viet Nam

Sub-Order: ANISOPTERA

Super-Family: LIBELLULOIDEA

Family: LIBELLULIDAE

Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Phylum: Arthropoda Latreille, 1829 - arthropods
  - Class: Insecta Linnaeus, 1758 - insects
    - Order: Odonata - dragonflies and damselflies
      - Suborder: Anisoptera Selys, 1854 - dragonflies
        
        Family: Libellulidae
        
        Genus: Tholymis
        
        Species: tillarga (Fabricius, 1798)
        
        Scientific Name: Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798)

	Tholymis tillarga female and immature male nave similar wing pattern : both wings are transparent with the hind wing translucent brown near the base . Matured Male has additional opaque white wing patches beside the brown patches that look like cloud hence the common name Coral-tailed Cloudwing This female hind wing span is 68mm
	Segment 8, 9, 10 of a Tholymis tillarga female view from top. The female anal appendages is 1.5mm long.
	View from bottom. Of segment 8, 9, 10. On segment 9 is the Ovipositor (Egg-laying apparatus) with 2 interesting apparatus : A) A pair of ‘bulb’ with sharp point. B) A long-tongue like appendage.

Tholymis tillarga (hw 35mm) is another common crepuscular species in Sabah. Found in drains, lakes and weedy ponds. It commences activity about two hours before dusk. Males are quite conspicuous in the dull evening light by virtue of the bright white wing patches, which seem almost to glow as they fly back and forth. Its orange abdomen is also conspicuous. It is of medium size ( hw, 34-35 mm) and very widely distributed in the old world tropics.

Immatures male and female look similar but lacking white patch. Common in standing and slow flowing water in all types of open habitats, 0-1500 m; salt tolerant. Larva bottom dwelling, without long posterior spines and relatively slender. Adults active from 2-3 hours before sunset until dark. In the light of early dusk the whirring white patches on the wings are almost luminescent, and as the gloom deepens, are all that can be seen. Widespread in tropical Asia, Africa and Australasia. A species of the tropics and subtropics of the Old World, characterised by a crepuscular flight.

http://www.ilib.cn/Periodical.Articles/shidkx/2005/03/shidkx200503002.html

"....Tholymis tillarga and Copera ciliata were strictly found at ......implicating their preference for smaller, slow moving and polluted river with floating microphytes.... "

Unique pattern of a mature male T. tillarga.

A mature male Tholymis tillarga's hind wing has a amber-brown tinted patch followed by area of white pruinescence which seem to glow as they fly back and forth.

However immature male lacking this white patch