''Copera vittata'' is a species of

damselfly Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings alo ...

in the family

Platycnemididae The Platycnemididae are a family of damselflies. They are known commonly as white-legged damselflies. There are over 400 species native to the Old World.Dijkstra, K. D. B., Kalkman, V. J., Dow, R. A., Stokvis, F. R., & Van Tol, J. (2014)Redefini ...

. It is native to

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

, where it is widely distributed from

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. It is known commonly as the blue bush dart. There are several subspecies and it may represent a

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

Description and habitat

It is a medium-sized damselfly with brown-capped yellow eyes with a narrow equatorial black band encircling them. Its thorax is black on dorsum with a narrow bluish-yellow humeral stripe, split in two and overlap each other. This stripe is followed by a broad black fascia, on the middle of the lateral side of the thorax, peppered with small pale yellow spots. The lateral sides beyond this is yellow, marked with an irregular black stripe on the anterior border of postero-lateral suture, and another one on the middle portion of metepimeron. Abdomen is black on dorsal half up to segment 8; paler on ventral half and with bluish-white basal annules. Segment 9 is black on basal half and bluish-white on apical half. Segment 10 is bluish-white. Anal appendages are pale blue or creamy white. The superiors are as long as segment 10, conical, and tapered at apices. The inferiors nearly twice the length of superiors. The inferiors are pale within, blackish-brown externally. In the related species, ''

Copera marginipes ''Copera marginipes'', yellow bush dart, is a species of damselfly in the family Platycnemididae. It is native to Asia, where it is widespread and common. Description and habitat It is a medium sized damselfly with brown-capped yellow eyes with ...

'', the superiors are half the length of segment 10 and inferiors are at least four times the length of superiors. The inferiors tipped with black beneath. File:Copera vittata-Kadavoor-2016-11-27-003.jpg, Male anal appendages (''Copera vittata'') File:Copera marginipes-Kadavoor-2016-11-11-002.jpg, Male anal appendages (''

'') The female is more robust compared to the male, dull in colors and marks less conspicuously defined. Tenerals of both sex can be whole white with few black markings. Commonly found in among undergrowth along the banks of rivers and streams, often in the

hills A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

References

External links

Platycnemididae Odonata of Asia Insects described in 1863 {{Platycnemididae-stub

Description and habitat

See also

References

External links