Trithemis kirbyi
Trithemis kirbyi Selys, 1891
Local names: Orange-winged dropwing, Scarlet rock glider, Kirby's dropwing, Feuerroter Sonnenzeiger, Oranje zonnewijzer
Species Information
Description
Trithemis kibyi is smaller than its cogener Trithemis annulata. It has eyes which is light blue on the lower part and a pterostigma that is short and blackish in both sexes. The mature males of this species have red body, tibiae and wing venation. Abdomen of the mature male is broadened like T. annulata, but has less black markings than any other dropwing. Both the fore wings and the hind wings have a large amber-yellow patch that extends from the base for almost a third of the length of the wing.
Immature males are yellowish with paler patches on the wings. Females are yellowish with dark lines on the side of the thorax and two broken brownish lines along the abdomen on S6-S9. Tibiae are pale. At the base of the hind wings, they have a small amber-yellow patch and another roundish, often isolated, patch that is variable in size.
The males of this species are similar to Crocothemis erythraea and Sympetrum fonscolombii, but they can be distinguished by the extension of the patches on the wings and the short and black pterostigma. The females can be distinguished from the cogener T. annulata that have black legs, lack the lines along the upper side of the abdomen and lack the rounded patch on the hind wings. It does not overlap with Sympetrum flaveolum.
Size
Habitat
Throughout its range, this species favours open, arid and semi-arid landscapes, where it is found in rivers, streams and runnels with a bare, stony or rocky bottom and banks with little or no vegetation. These streams often dry out partly in summer, leaving only residual connected or disconnected pools. IT is a strong wanderer which easily colonises new habitats and is able to reproduce in ornamental ponds, fountains, swimming ponds, concrete ditches and water tanks. It is only present in hot areas and, in Europe, is confined to low elevations. In contrast to other species with a rapid larval developmen, its larvae are relatively inactive and this, in combination with their cryptic colouration, allows them to co-occur with fish.
Distribution
Trithemis kirbyi is one of the most common and widespread African species, occurring throughout most of sub-saharan Africa, absent only from areas with closed tropical forests. It is most common in arid and semi-arid savannah regions. It is also found in the southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula, extending towards western India through southern Iran and Pakistan. It is now common and widespread in the Maghreb, where it began to increase in the 1980s and from where it began its expansion into southern Europe.
Trithemis kirbyi is the most recent dragonfly to have arrived in Europe, being recorded for the first time in Sardinia in 2003, when a single adult male was found. No subsequent records were made in this area despite searches and this record is believed to be of a vagrant individual. Other records of probable vagrants are reported from Italian islands of Lampedusa (one male and one female 2012) and Linosa (three males 2013).
In the west the species was found for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula in May 2007, when three males were seen in Andalusia approximately 50 km north of Gibraltar. Surveys at suitable locations in the Malaga Province in the following year succeeded in finding the species at 8 of the 29 localities explored. This uncovered the first evidence of breeding in Europe. The species has since been found in numerous new locations and is now widespread and common in Andalusia. Further inland records were made in Extremadura (2010, 2012) and Castilla-La Mancha (2013). At the same time the species expanded rapidly along the east Mediterranean coast in Murcia, Valencia, Catalonia and Aragon. It is likely that the expansion will continue and records from Portugal is likely in the future.
Flight Period
May to November
Behavior
Males often perch on rocks.
Conservation Status
Similar Species
Crocothemis erythraea, Sympetrum fonscolombii
External Links
Genus: Trithemis
Trithemis is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. They are commonly known as dropwings. There are over 40 species, mainly from Africa; two are endemic to Madagascar, and five are endemic to Asia. They are found in a wide variety of habitats; some species being adapted to permanent streams in forests, and others being capable of breeding in temporary pools in deserts.
Identification Diagnosis
Medium-sized libellulids with gaudy males. In the hand, the metallically shining snout and strongly hooked hamule render males unmistakable.
Separation from other genera
Red species recall Sympetrum and Crocothemis. In the field, the latter's dark veins and brown-and-green eyes, rather than bright red veins and red-and-blue eyes, usually exclude confusion, but beware that S. fonscolombil is red-veined and blue-eyed! Crocothemis are most easily separated by the absence of black on the legs. See T. festiva.
Separation of the species
A diverse genus with over 40 species in the Old World tropics, especially Africa. Four very different species just extend into our area, all with unmistakable males. Females can be tricky, but can be distinguished by the position of the black markings on their abdomen.
Behaviour
Males perch conspicuously by the waterside, frequently flying about aggressively. Trithemis prefer sunny conditions and are very tolerant of heat, frequently being active in the scorching heat of midday, perching with wings held down deeply and the abdomen pointing vertically at the sun. This so-called 'obelisk' position gives them their vernacular names in English and German ('sundials').
Family: Libellulidae
The skimmers or perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest dragonfly family in the world. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the Macromiidae as the subfamily Macromiinae. Even if these are excluded, there still remains a family of over 1000 species. With nearly worldwide distribution, these are almost certainly the most often seen of all dragonflies.
The genus Libellula is mostly New World, but also has one of the few endangered odonates from Japan: Libellula angelina. Many of the members of this genus are brightly colored or have banded wings. The related genus Plathemis includes the whitetails. The genus Celithemis contains several brightly marked species in the southern United States. Members of the genus Sympetrum are called darters (or meadowhawks in North America) and are found throughout most of the world, except Australia. Several Southern Hemisphere species in the genera Trithemis and Zenithoptera are especially beautiful. Other common genera include Tramea and Pantala.
The libellulids have stout-bodied larvae with the lower lip or labium developed into a mask over the lower part of the face.
The family name may have been derived from the Latin libella which means booklet.