| Esme mudiensis | |
|---|---|
| | |
| male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Suborder: | Zygoptera |
| Family: | Platycnemididae |
| Subfamily: | Disparoneurinae |
| Genus: | Esme |
| Species: | E. mudiensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Esme mudiensis Fraser, 1931 | |
Esme mudiensis [2] [1] is a damselfly in the family Platycnemididae. It is commonly known as the Travancore bambootail. [3] It is endemic to the Western Ghats in India, particularly south of Palakkad Gap. [1] [4]
It is a medium-sized damselfly with black-capped blue eyes. Its thorax is velvet-black on the dorsum and azure blue on the sides. The dorsum is marked with narrow ante-humeral blue stripes, and there is another moderately broad black stripe over the postero-lateral suture. The base of the sides is pale blue. Wings are transparent with black and diamond shaped pterostigma. The abdomen is black, marked with azure blue on segment 1 and 2. Segments 3 to 6 have very narrow baso-dorsal annules. Segments 8 to 10 are blue. There is a narrow black basal annule on segment 8. The ventral borders of all segments are broadly black. Anal appendages are black. The female is similar to the male, but with a more robust build. [5]
It can be easily distinguished from other species of Esme by the labrum being entirely unmarked with metallic blue-black. [5]
It is usually found along hill streams, and seen perched on riparian vegetation. [5] [6] [7] [3] [8]
Data related to Esme mudiensis at Wikispecies
Media related to Esme mudiensis at Wikimedia Commons