Coromandel Marsh Dart is one of the beautiful damselflies from the family of Marsh Darts. These are a commonly found species in Kerala.
Coromandel Marsh Dart (male) photographed from Cheruvally, Kerala on May 16, 2015
Exif: f/5.6, 1/80s, ISO 400, 85mm, Nikon D7100, 16-85mm DX
Like almost all other damselflies, these are also weak in flight. I found this one from a nearby farmland. The area is rich in grass, and get plenty of sunlight during the day. There is also a small stream flowing nearby. So it is a common and widespread species. Checked the same place after about one week, on 22nd, and the same one was found at the same place, maybe a few centimeters apart from the first place.
Identification
First of all, these are just my observations. The top of the head is bright orange in color. Eyes are bluish above above and greenish below. Face is yellow. Legs are greenish near thorax, which merge to become yellow at the end. Thorax is light green in color. Abdomen is yellow, with slight orange color at the tip. Wings are transparent, wing spots are pale brown-yellow.
It can be confused with Rusty Marsh Dart (Ceriagrion olivaceum), but the latter has more of a rusty or brownish color.
It is medium to small sized; length of the abdomen is around 3 centimeters.
