Kingdom Animalia Family Libellulidae Genus Lyriothemis Order Odonate | Class Insecta Phylum Arthropoda Rank Species | |
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Similar Lyriothemis, Odonate, Gynacantha dravida, Bradinopyga geminata, Vestalis apicalis | ||
Lyriothemis acigastra is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae known from India. The International Union for Conservation of Nature also cites very old collections in Burma, China and Tibet.
The genus Lyriothemis is made up of 15 species and is widespread across Asia. Three species in the genus are known from India; L. cleis, L. tricolor and L. acigastra. All three were thought to be restricted to the northeastern states of Assam and West Bengal, but, in 2013, L. acigastra and L. tricolor were recorded in the southern state of Kerala.
Little is known about the species's ecology or habitat, which could be because of its rarity and secretive nature. The specimens reported in 2013 were found in bushes around freshwater marshland and streams. Individuals were generally at their most active in the evening and morning; males rested at around 8 to 10 metres (26 to 33 ft) from the ground, and predated upon skippers and moths.
The species closely resembles the Sri Lankan species L. defonsekai, described in 2009.