''Agriocnemis pygmaea''
(pygmy wisp)
is a species of
damselfly
Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along ...
in the family
Coenagrionidae
The insect family Coenagrionidae is placed in the order Odonata and the suborder Zygoptera.
The Zygoptera are the damselflies, which although less known than the dragonflies, are no less common. More than 1,300 species are in this family, making ...
.
It is also known as wandering midget, pygmy dartlet or wandering wisp. It is well distributed across
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
and parts of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
Description and habitat
It is a small damselfly with black capped green eyes, black thorax with apple green stripes on lateral sides. Segments 1 to 7 of its abdomen is black on dorsum and pale green on ventral half. The remaining segments are orange-red. Very old males may get
pruinosed on the dorsum of the head and the thorax with snowy white, making all the markings beneath being quite obscured. Female is more robust and exhibits several
color morphs. The green color of the male is replaced by red in the females in the red forms. In
androchrome forms, the female has same green colors as in the male.
[ Female colour variation is depended on ]ontogenic
Ontogeny (also ontogenesis) is the origination and development of an organism (both physical and psychological, e.g., moral development), usually from the time of fertilization of the egg to adult. The term can also be used to refer to the stu ...
colour change
associated with sexual development too.
Etymology
The species name ''pygmaea'' is from the Greek word for pygmy. In 1842, Jules Pierre Rambur
Jules Pierre Rambur (21 July 1801 – 10 August 1870) was a French entomologist.
Rambur was born in Chinon. He studied the insect fauna of Corsica and Andalusia. He was the author of ''Histoire naturelle des insectes'' (1842) amongst other works ...
, writing in Latin, started his description of this damselfly: ''Minimum obscure viridi aenum'' - very small dark green copper.
Gallery
Agriocnemis pygmaea 9.jpg, Female (androchrome)
Agriocnemis pygmaea imported from iNaturalist photo 29022816 on 12 October 2020.jpg , Male
Agriocnemis pygmaea imported from iNaturalist photo 52970198 on 12 October 2020.jpg , Female with water mites attached to her thorax
Agriocnemis pygmaea female wings (34441594530).jpg , Female wings
Agriocnemis pygmaea male wings (34441599030).jpg , Male wings
Pygmy_wisp.jpg , Male, Thailand
See also
* List of odonates of India
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
* List of odonata of Kerala
* List of Odonata species of Australia
This is a list of species of damselflies and dragonflies recorded in Australia.
Common names of species are linked, beside their scientific names.
The list is split into two groups: damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) and other dragonflies (infr ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2217298
Coenagrionidae
Odonata of Asia
Odonata of Australia
Insects of India
Insects of Sri Lanka
Insects of Vietnam
Insects of Thailand
Insects of Australia
Taxa named by Jules Pierre Rambur
Insects described in 1842
Damselflies