Odonata: Synthemistidae

Choristhemis flavoterminata  

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)
click photo for larger image
© Geoff Walker 2016
Gold Creek Reservoir, QLD (Feb, 2016)

The sight of the tiny fly on the tail of this Yellow-tipped Tigertail tempted me to corrupt a poem I read many years ago:

  Dragonflies have little flies
  Upon their backs to bite 'em
  And little flies have lesser flies
  and so ad infinitum.

(With apologies to Augustus De Morgan, 1806-1871).

Given the size of the Yellow-tipped Tigertail dragonfly, the fly on its abdomen must be barely 1mm long.

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Yellow-tipped Tigertail

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Yellow-tipped Tigertail

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Yellow-tipped Tigertail

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Yellow-tipped Tigertail

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Yellow-tipped Tigertail

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Female Yellow-tipped Tigertail

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Female Yellow-tipped Tigertail

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Female Yellow-tipped Tigertail

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Female Yellow-tipped Tigertail

Yellow-tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)

Yellow-tipped Tigertail