Bekko Tombo | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Odonata |
Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
Family: | Libellulidae |
Genus: | Libellula |
Species: | L. angelina |
Binomial name | |
Libellula angelina Selys, 1883 | |
Libellula angelina, also known as bekko tombo, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae, native to China and Japan. It is under threat by rapid loss of the ponds and other small water bodies it uses as habitat, and is currently classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.
The bekko tombo is a golden to rusty-brown dragonfly, with a dark stripe down the centre of the abdomen and a distinctive pattern of dark markings on its wings. Like other members of the family Libellulidae, this dragonfly has a relatively short, broad abdomen, and its body is distinctly shorter than its wingspan. [2]
The bekko tombo occurs in central and northern China, Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and offshore islands) and Korea. [1] It inhabits old and stable ponds with moderate plant growth in lowland hill areas. It requires clear, open water in which the nymphs crawl around in the bottom sediments. [1] [2]
The bekko tombo is univoltine. It has a larval period of one year. Eggs hatch from May to June, and adults emerge the following spring. There is often fierce competition between males for access to reproductive females. Females typically begin to lay eggs in water immediately after copulation, often guarded by their mate. However, females of some species can store live sperm in their body for a number of days. [2]
The bekko tombo has experienced drastic declines in recent decades, mostly driven by the continuing disappearance of its required breeding habitats, old and stable ponds with vegetated borders. Introduced predators such as the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) have also had an impact. The species has been protected in Japan since 1993, and efforts by various NGOs are ongoing to preserve and reconstitute suitable breeding habitats. [2] Current population is estimated at less than 5,000 individuals, and the species has been classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. [1]
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera. Adult dragonflies are characterized by a pair of large, multifaceted compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the closely related damselflies, which make up the other odonatan infraorder (Zygoptera) and are similar in body plan though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
Aeshna isoceles is a small hawker dragonfly that is found in Europe, mostly around the Mediterranean, and the lowlands of North Africa. Its common name in English is green-eyed hawker. In Britain it is a rare and local species and is known as the Norfolk hawker. It has a brown colour with green eyes and clear wings and also a yellow triangular mark on the second abdominal segment which gave rise to its scientific name. It used to be in the genus Anaciaeschna as it has several differences from the other members of the genus Aeshna. Its specific name is often spelt isosceles.
The common whitetail or long-tailed skimmer is a common dragonfly across much of North America, with a striking and unusual appearance. The male's chunky white body, combined with the brownish-black bands on its otherwise translucent wings, give it a checkered look. Females have a brown body and a different pattern of wing spots, closely resembling that of female Libellula pulchella, the twelve-spotted skimmer. Whitetail females can be distinguished by their smaller size, shorter bodies, and white zigzag abdominal stripes; the abdominal stripes of L. puchella are straight and yellow.
The migrant hawker is one of the smaller species of hawker dragonflies. It can be found away from water but for breeding it prefers still or slow-flowing water and can tolerate brackish sites. The flight period is from July to the end of October. A. mixta occurs in North Africa, southern and central Europe to the Baltic region.
The red-veined darter or nomad is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum.
Libellula depressa, the broad-bodied chaser or broad-bodied darter, is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe and central Asia. It is very distinctive with a very broad flattened abdomen, four wing patches and, in the male, the abdomen becomes pruinose blue.
The common darter is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae native to Eurasia. It is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe, occurring in a wide variety of water bodies, though with a preference for breeding in still water such as ponds and lakes. In the south of its range adults are on the wing all year round.
Libellula quadrimaculata, known in Europe as the four-spotted chaser and in North America as the four-spotted skimmer, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae found widely throughout Europe, Asia, and North America.
The beautiful demoiselle is a European damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It is often found along fast-flowing waters where it is most at home.
The flame skimmer or firecracker skimmer is a common dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to western North America.
Pantala flavescens, the globe skimmer, globe wanderer or wandering glider, is a wide-ranging dragonfly of the family Libellulidae. This species and Pantala hymenaea, the "spot-winged glider", are the only members of the genus Pantala. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1798. It is considered to be the most widespread dragonfly on the planet with good population on every continent except Antarctica although rare in Europe. Globe skimmers make an annual multigenerational journey of some 18,000 km ; to complete the migration, individual globe skimmers fly more than 6,000 km —one of the farthest known migrations of all insect species.
Erythemis simplicicollis, the eastern pondhawk, also known as the common pondhawk, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to the eastern two-thirds of the United States and southern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is a dragonfly of ponds and still waters. The species is distinguished in that the female is bright green with a banded abdomen and the mature male has a blue abdomen with a green face and green and blue thorax.
Somatochlora, or the striped emeralds, is a genus of dragonflies in the family Corduliidae with 42 described species found across the Northern Hemisphere.
Somatochlora sahlbergi, the treeline emerald, is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is found at high latitudes across northern Eurasia and North America, and occurs farther north than any other dragonfly.
Trithemis annulata, known commonly as the violet dropwing, violet-marked darter, purple-blushed darter or plum-coloured dropwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in most of Africa, in the Middle East, in the Arabian Peninsula and southern Europe. These insects are called dropwings because of their habit of immediately lowering their wings after landing on a perch. Males of this species are violet-red with red veins in the wings while females are yellow and brown. Both sexes have red eyes.
Pantala hymenaea is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae. It is a migratory species and is native to North, Central and South America, travelling widely and breeding in temporary water bodies. It looks very similar to the wandering glider, with the addition of a dark basal spot on the hindwing. It is a common species with a very large range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as being of "least concern".
The dot-tailed whiteface is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is also one of the most common and widespread in the genus Leucorrhinia.
The desert whitetail is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. P. subornata is often put into the genus Libellula.
Chalcolestes viridis, formerly Lestes viridis, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name is the willow emerald damselfly or the western willow spreadwing.
The blue corporal, also known as little corporal, is a dragonfly in the Libellulidae, or skimmer family. First described as Libellula deplanata by Jules Pierre Rambur in 1842, it is common across much of the eastern United States.
Wikispecies has information related to Libellula angelina . |