Location: Bangalore, India
Season: Autumn/Early Winter, October
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Bradinopyga
Bradinopyga geminata
Do you see what I see? What a camouflage! This is called the Granite Ghost because it blends with the surroundings such as granite rocks, pavements, stone boulders and walls. This dragonfly was spotted in an urban area in Bangalore, India. It was found sitting on the cement wall. How well it blended with the surroundings simply amazed me. It is grey in colour, with grey eyes and the abdomen is grey with black/white/grey marbling pattern. This morphology helps it to perfectly blend with the surrounding being practically invisible.
The adaptation to urban environment is not just in the camouflage. It feeds on mosquitos and larvae which is abundant in urban buildings.
The Genus Bradinopyga has four main species of which B. geminata is endemic to India. Other species are endemic to Africa.
References: Indian Biodiversity, Bangalore Citizen Matters
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