Zyxomma petiolatum Rambur, 1842

Sharma, Manoj, Oli, Buddhi Ram & Gautam, Ishan, 2024, Dragonflies and Damselflies (Insecta, Odonata) from the western region of Nepal with new records of four species, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 10 (3), pp. 535-546 : 538-540

Zyxomma petiolatum Rambur, 1842 (Fig. 13)

Material Examined. 3♂♂, 2♀♀, Karnali province, Surkhet district, Bulbule lake (28°34'56.14"N, 81°37'10.38"E, 646 m a.s.l.), 3-viii-2022. Coll. M. Sharma.

Figures 2–13. Anisoptera . 2. Cephalaeschna viridifrons , female; 3. Gynacantha incisura , female; 4. Gynacantha incisura , dorsal view; 5. Gynacanthaeschna sikkima , male; 6. Lamelligomphus risi , male; 7. Scalmogomphus bistrigatus , male; 8. Rhodothemis rufa , female; 9. Tetrathemis platyptera , male; 10. Tetrathemis platyptera , mating; 11. Urothemis signata signata , male; 12. Urothemis signata signata , teneral, female; 13. Zyxomma petiolatum , male.

Field diagnosis (♂ ♀). Abdomen relatively enormously dilated from the first segment to the base of third segment then abruptly contracted, slim and cylindrical to the end. Cerci as long as segments 9–10 combining, slim and sinuous, acuminate at apex. Wings transparent with broad brown apices (Fig. 13).

Ecology. These are crepuscular species meaning they fly shortly before dusk or in the late afternoon. Two males were chasing each other near the edge of the water outlet canal of the Lake on date 3-viii- 2022. The next morning, a single female was perching on tangled vegetation at the edge of the Lake.

Distribution. This species is currently known from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam ( Kalkman et al., 2020), and Nepal (new record).