Photographs

Coral-tailed Cloudwing (Tholymis tillarga) (male)

Flora & Fauna

The common names of this dragonfly are Evening Skimmer, Foggy-winged Twister, Coral-tailed Cloud Wing, Old World Twister, Crepuscular Darter and White-burned Dusk Hawk. The adult male Tholymis tillarga is as much carrot-orange as it is scarlet. Its distinguishing features are the unique marks on its hind wings: There is a dark spot in the middle of each hind wing, and adjoining this spot, towards the tip, is a milky white patch. These marks are conspicuous when the insect patrols over a body of water. The female and the young male are ochre in colour. The hind wings of the female do not have the opalescent white spots, and the dark spots are paler than in the male. This species of dragonfly can be found hanging from a twig of a bush during the day. It becomes active a little before sunset, and then it patrols low over the water incessantly in the failing light. Tholymis tillarga has a wide distribution outside India. It is reported to be a migrant in parts of its range.