Photographs

Pygmy Wisp (Agriocnemis pygmaea) (two male individuals)

Flora & Fauna

This is the smallest of the Indian damselflies. The male of this damselfly is dark above and green below. But the insect is so small that this pattern is difficult to appreciate with the unaided eye. However, the tip of the abdomen is orange, and this is what registers most readily when the damselfly is viewed. Sometimes male Agriocnemis pygmaea specimens are found that have a powdery whitish coating all over the thorax and head. They look as though they have been dusted with powdered sugar. It is believed that these are older insects, and the technical name for the frosted appearance is ‘pruinescence’. The term is also used for the white powder itself.