Laidlaw's clawtail (Onychogomphus acinaces Laidlaw, 1922)കുറുനഖവാലൻ

Common name: Laidlaw's clawtail

Malayalam name: കുറുനഖവാലന്‍

Scientific name: Onychogomphus acinaces   Laidlaw, 1922  
Family: Gomphidae
Place of observation: Athirappilly, Chinnar Kerala 

Date of observation  : 02-09-2015, 19-09-2017, 09-09-2019

Male:      Abdomen (With appendages) 39 mm  Hind-wing 30 mm
Female:  Abdomen 39-40 mm                      Hind-wing 32-35 mm.

It is Endemic to the Western Ghats
    The species is very closely related to O. nilgiriensis, and apart from the appendages the only reliable character by which to distinguish them is the pointed lower end of the antehumeral
stripe in O.acinaces and the absence of occipital spines in the female. O.acinaces is a far more static insect than O.nilgiriensis, which, as has been noted above, exhibits considerable variation.

Male

Young Male Dorsal view

Young Male lateral view

Male

Male 

Eyes and Dorsal Thorax

Eyes and synthorax

Eyes

Anal appendages Dorsal view

Anal appendages Lateral view

Anal appendages Lateral view

Anal appendages Dorsal view

Anal appendages

Parakeet Darner (Gynacantha bayadera) തത്തമ്മ തുമ്പി Selys, 1891.

Common name         : Parakeet Darner  

Malayalam name      :  തത്തമ്മ തുമ്പി

Scientific name         : Gynacantha bayadera  Selys, 1891

Family                       : Aeshnidae    

Place of observation : Thumboor, Kerala  

Date of observation  : 05-08-2015, 04-09-2017 

Male :      Abdomen 50-58 mm  Hind-wing 43-50 mm  

Female :  Abdomen 48-55 mm  Hind-wing 44-50 mm

Female

Male

Female

Female

Male

Male

Male - Head and thorax

Male - Anal appendages

Male - Anal appendages

Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) തുരുമ്പന്‍ ചാത്തന്‍ Burmeister, 1839

Scientific name : Anax ephippiger Burmeister, 1839

Common name : Vagrant Emperor 

Malayalam name : തുരുമ്പന്‍ ചാത്തന്‍

Family : Aeshnidae (Darners, സൂചിവാലന്‍ കല്ലന്‍തുമ്പികള്‍)

Place of observation : Thumboor - Kerala 

Date of observation  : 06-07-2017

Male :      Abdomen 40 mm  Hind-wing 44 mm

Female :  Abdomen 42 mm  Hind-wing 46 mm.

Juvenile Female

Juvenile Female

Female

Eyes & Thorax

Anal appendages with ovipositor

Anal appendages

Anal appendages

Anal appendages

Eyes & Thorax

Eyes & Thorax

Stellate River Hawk (Onychothemis testacea Laidlaw, 1902) കാട്ടുപുള്ളൻ

Scientific name: Onychothemis testacea Laidlaw, 1902

Common name: Stellate River Hawk

Malayalam name : കാട്ടുപുള്ളൻ

Family : Libellulidae (Skmmers, നീര്‍മുത്തന്‍)
Place of observation: Thumboormuzhy, Thumboor  - Kerala 

Date of observation: Various

Male:      Abdomen 34-36 mm  Hind-wing 40-42 mm
Female:  Abdomen 36 mm       Hind-wing 42-44 mm.

Female

Male

Male with prey

Female

Male

Female

Male

Male preying on a Chocolate Pansy (Junonia iphita) butterfly

Pygmy clubtail (Microgomphus souteri) കടുവാച്ചിന്നൻ Fraser, 1924

Scientific name : Microgomphus souteri  Fraser, 1924

Common name : Pygmy clubtail

Malayalam name : കടുവാച്ചിന്നൻ

Family : Gomphidae
Place of observation :Thumboormuzhy - Kerala
Date of observation  : 30-09-2018

Male :      Abdomen 25-26 mm  Hind-wing 28-31 mm
Female :  Abdomen 24 mm       Hind-wing 29 mm.

It is Endemic to Western Ghats

Female

With eggs

Ruddy Marsh Skimmer (Crocothemis servilia) വയല്‍ത്തുമ്പി Drury, 1770

Common name : Ruddy Marsh Skimmer

Malayalam name : വയല്‍ത്തുമ്പി

Scientific name : Crocothemis servilia  Drury, 1770
Family : Libellulidae, നീര്‍മുത്തന്‍
Place of observation : Thumboor, Thommana - Kerala
Date of observation  : Various

 Male :    Abdomen 24-35 mm  Hind-wing 27-38 mm
Female :  Abdomen 25-32 mm  Hind-wing 31-37 mm.

Female

Female

Female

Female

Andromorph female

Andromorph  female

Andromorph female

Newly Emerged Male

Juvenile Male

Sub adult Male

Sub adult Male

Sub adult male

Sub adult male

Sub adult Male

Sub adult male

Sub adult Male

Male

Male

Male

Male

Male

Male

Male

Male

Male

Male

Male face to face