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Coromandel Marsh Dart or Yellow Waxtail,

Skills: Odonata life in Kerala
Client:Save Tree Save Life Society

Project Description

Ceriagrion coromandelianum, commonly known as the Coromandel Marsh Dart or Yellow Waxtail, is a species of damselfly found in South Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal. Let’s delve into its fascinating mating behavior:

Breeding Behavior:
- On a typical breeding day, male C. coromandelianum arrive early in the morning, around 7 a.m., and move between the bushes and grasses near the ovipositing site (water tubs). Within an hour, they can be spotted perched around the bushes surrounding the water body.
- These males belong to a “sit and wait” type of mate-location strategy. While perched and waiting for the female to arrive, they sometimes exhibit abdominal bobbing and oviposition posture.
- The territorial area of a male C. coromandelianum is quite small, within a range of about 45 cm around his perch. There is no precopulatory courtship display; instead, the male moves toward the arriving receptive female and directly tries to form a tandem link.
- Other males in the group follow the pair, and the tandem pair eventually flies toward the safety of the surrounding vegetation to copulate.

Physical Characteristics:

Male:
- Medium-sized damselfly with yellowish-green eyes.
- Olive green thorax above and yellowish green on the sides.
- Yellow abdomen.
- Citron-yellow or ochreous anal appendages, with the inferiors tipped in black.
Female:
- More robust and dull-colored.
- Greenish thorax and golden yellow to brown abdomen.

Habitat:

C. coromandelianum breeds in weedy ponds, ditches, and rice fields.

These delicate damselflies engage in intricate courtship rituals, ensuring the continuation of their species amidst the lush greenery of their habitat.