Tokunoshima's endemic damselfly
Rhipidolestes amamiensis tokunoshimensis
Odonata / Family: Rhipidolestidae
- Total length
- Male 43-48 mm, Female 36-41 mm
- Range
- Tokunoshima
Males establish territories and wait for females to arrive for mating. During territorial disputes, they exhibit a behavior of displaying their red legs. In the diorama, you can observe a mating pair.
This is a subspecies of R. amamiensis. Males have a spine-like protrusion at the tip of their abdomen, which gave rise to its Japanese name.
It is estimated that the egg stage lasts about one month, and the nymph stage lasts approximately two years. Thus, the nymphs are thought to overwinter.
Habitat of This Animal:
A:Forest along the valley - A2:Forest along the mountain streams
In Tokunoshima Island, abundant rainwater carved the ground, forming many rows of ridges and valleys. Plants adapting to the flowing and drying up of water grow in the harsh environment, where water swells and depletes every time rain falls. The waterfront is also a habitat for many creatures, including endemic species, with frogs and dragonflies breeding.
This A2:Forest along the mountain streams