New records of polymorphism in Asian libellulid dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata)

Shantanu Joshia , Nancy van der Poortenb, Amila Sumanapalac , Erland Nielsend, Jenis Patele , Bo Nielsenf, Dattaprasad Sawantg , Muhamed Sherifh

  1. Research Collections, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India
  2. 17 Monkton Avenue, Toronto, Canada
  3. Department of Zoology and Environment Science, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  4. Møllevej 15B, Fovslet, 6580, Vamdrup, Denmark
  5. Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, India
  6. Lyrskovgade, 12, 1758, Copenhagen, Denmark
  7. M.D. Community Medicine, Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
  8. Society for Odonate Studies, Vellooparampil, Kottayam, Kerala, India

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 23, Issue 4, Pages 337-356, 2020
https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2020.1788999
Published: 1 October 2020 (Received: 15 February 2020, Accepted: 25 June 2020)

Abstract

Polymorphism has rarely been reported from dragonflies of the Libellulidae (Odonata: Anisoptera) family. Here, we report female-limited polymorphism in females of five species of the Libellulidae and a gynandromorph male of Brachythemis contaminata from South Asia. We describe the morphological variation between andromorph and heteromorph females, and collate records of andromorph females from various sources. Yearly number of andromorph females of Crocothemis servilia, Urothemis signata and Neurothemis tullia was calculated using records from published literature and unpublished sources, and social media.

Keywords: polymorphism, andromorph, gynandromorph, Crocothemis, Urothemis, Neurothemis, servilia, signata, India, citizen science, dragonfly

Issue section: Article