Wandering Glider, Globetrotter

Note the broad hind wing and the distinctive black markings on the abdomen, the dashes becoming more pronounced toward the posterior segments 8 - 9 . This is a member of the large Skimmer family. In the evening is can be recognized by a darting movement back and forth as it selects a spot on which to retire in a vertical hanging position.

This is a creature found happy in the rice fields and wetlands where they find conditions suitable for all stages of their lives. The females dart and dip over the water laying their eggs. The larvae develop under the water, eating larvae of other aquatic insects and sometimes each other!. Since these dragonflies prefer a vertical surface in order to emerge from its aquatic stage they find those upright rice stalks and use them as ladders to the aerial world when they take wings and shed their skins. In India, dragonflies are believed to be the souls of the newly departed, waiting on the wing until it is time for reincarnation!

An interesting note: This dragonfly is a circumtropical insect - that is, they are found around the world in the warm climate zones. In the Americas, it is called the wandering glider or the globe skimmer for it has even been known to land on ships far out at sea. In India - it is called the Onathumbikal.