Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 14, 2026

Tholymis

Tholymis is a genus of medium-sized dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. Species of Tholymis are tropical, active mostly at dawn and dusk.

Last revised
Jul 14, 2026
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Tholymis
Tholymis tillarga
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Superfamily: Libelluloidea
Family: Libellulidae
Subfamily: Trameinae
Tribe: Zyxommatini
Genus: Tholymis
Hagen, 18671

Tholymis is a genus of medium-sized dragonflies in the family Libellulidae.23 Species of Tholymis are tropical, active mostly at dawn and dusk.4

Etymology

The genus name Tholymis is possibly derived from the Greek θώραξ (thōrax, "thorax" or "chest") and λυγαῖος (lygaios, "shadowy" or "murky"), together with the common dragonfly suffix -themis. The name may refer to the dark-coloured thorax of males of Tholymis citrina.15

Species

The genus Tholymis includes the following species:3

Male Female Scientific name Common name Distribution
Tholymis citrina Hagen, 1867 Evening Skimmer4 Caribbean Sea, Central America, North America, and South America.
Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798) Twister,6 Coral-tailed Cloud Wing7 tropical West Africa to Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
References

References

  1. Hagen, H. (1867). "Die Neuroptera der Insel Cuba". Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung (in German). 28: 215–232 [221] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  2. "Genus Tholymis Hagen, 1867". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study. 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  3. Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral. University of Alabama.
  4. Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-12281-6.
  5. Endersby, Ian; Fliedner, Heinrich (2015). The Naming of Australia's Dragonflies. Eltham, Victoria, Australia: Busybird Publishing. ISBN 9781925260625.
  6. Clausnitzer, V. (2016). "Tholymis tillarga". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T60048A83382535. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T60048A83382535.en.
  7. Subramanian, K. A. (2005). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Peninsular India (PDF).