Melligomphus acinaces

Melligomphus acinaces
Male
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Family:	Gomphidae
Genus:	Melligomphus
Species:	M. acinaces
Binomial name
Melligomphus acinaces (Laidlaw, 1922)
Synonyms [2]
Onychogomphus acinaces Laidlaw, 1922

Melligomphus acinaces ^[2] is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is endemic to the streams of Western Ghats of India. ^{[1] [3]} This species was originally described as a Onychogomphus . However, both the pattern and the shape of the anal appendages do not fit Onychogomphus but are very close to those of the species placed in Melligomphus . ^[4]

Description and habitat

It is a medium-sized dragonfly with bottle-green eyes. Its thorax black, marked with greenish-yellow. There is a mesothoracic collar and an oblique ante-humeral stripe. Sides are greenish-yellow with a broad median black stripe on each side. Abdomen is black, marked with greenish-yellow. Segment 1 has an apical triangular spot, and an apical lateral spot. Segment 2 has two large yellow lateral spots. Segment 3 has a large basal spot. Segments 4 to 6 have smaller spots. Segment 7 has its basal half yellow. Segment 8 has only a basal spot on the sides. Segments 9 and 10 are unmarked. Anal appendages are black. Superior appendages have the upper and outer surfaces bright yellow. They truncate, tapering sinuously backwards and sloping slightly downwards towards the apices. The inferior appendage is slightly longer, divided into two closely parallel branches and the distal halves curved upwards. It can be distinguished from all other species of this genus by the shape of the anal appendages. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

It is commonly found in shallow mountain streams. It breeds in deep pools in those streams. ^[6]

See also

• List of odonates of India
• List of odonata of Kerala

References

1. Dow, R.A. (2009). "Melligomphus acinaces". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2009: e.T163645A5629088. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T163645A5629088.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
2. Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. (2023). "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral, University of Alabama . Retrieved 14 Mar 2023.
3. K.A., Subramanian; K.G., Emiliyamma; R., Babu; C., Radhakrishnan; S.S., Talmale (2018). Atlas of Odonata (Insecta) of the Western Ghats, India. Zoological Survey of India. pp. 244–245. ISBN   9788181714954.
4. Kalkman, V. J.; Babu, R.; Bedjanič, M.; Conniff, K.; Gyeltshenf, T.; Khan, M. K.; Subramanian, K. A.; Zia, A.; Orr, A. G. (2020-09-08). "Checklist of the dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata) of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka". Zootaxa. 4849. Magnolia Press, Auckland, New Zealand: 001–084. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4849.1.1. hdl: 10072/398768 . ISBN   978-1-77688-047-8. ISSN   1175-5334.
5. "Onychogomphus acinaces Laidlaw, 1922". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
6. C FC Lt. Fraser (1934). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma, Odonata Vol. II. Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, London: Taylor and Francis. pp.  280–282.
7. C FC Lt. Fraser (1924). A Survey of the Odonate (Dragonfly) Fauna of Western India and Descriptions of Thirty New Species (PDF). p. 477.
8. M. Rathod, Darshana; Parasharya, B.M.; Talmale, S.S. (2016). "Odonata (Insecta) diversity of southern Gujarat, India". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 8 (11): 9339–9349. doi: 10.11609/jott.2609.8.11.9339-9349 .