Trithemis festiva
• English name: Indigo Dropwing
• German name: Schwarzer Sonnenzeiger
• French name: N/A
• Dutch name: Blauwe zonnewijzer
• Swedish name: N/A
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: N/A
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: N/A
• Bulgarian name: N/A
Trithemis festiva
Not present
Present before 1990
Present after 1990
Present before and after 1990
Present after 2015
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | ➤ a small species which in Europe occurs only on Cyprus and Rhodes | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Trithemis festiva (Rambur, 1842) | |
| Name genus | • Trithemis: from Grk. τρίς, τρί- = three times, tri- ⇒ for the tri-lobed hind margin of the prothorax +; Θέμις or θέμις = (Greek Titaness of) divine order, law as established by custom | |
| Name species | • festiva: from Lat. festivus, -a, -um = festive, pretty; [festum = feast] | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • small, sunny streams | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 31-37 mm; hindwing: 23-32 mm | |
| Notes | • libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females | |
| • Trithemis species tend to perch with their wings folded forward | ||
| • immature males are coloured like females | ||
| Both sexes | Wings | • the hindwing bears a small orange patch at the base |
| ➤ the wing tip (especially in females) often bears a dark patch | ||
| Male | Thorax | • the thorax is purplish black |
| Abdomen | ➤ the abdomen is black with some mid-dorsal yellow pots | |
| Female | Thorax | • the thorax is brown-yellow with thick black lines on the side |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is brown-yellow with extensive black markings; S8-S9 are mostly black | |
| Photographs | • all of our photos below were made on Cyprus and in Turkey |
