Granite Ghost

Bradinopyga geminata (male)

I’m still a student of Indian dragonflies (of the world, for that matter), but one species that has captivated me since I read about it is the Granite Ghost – Bradinopyga geminata. Typically an urban dweller, the species has adapted itself to city life – breeding in water tanks, feeder ponds, and all other pools of water that can be found in a metropolis. The species is so well suited to concrete jungles not only because of its extreme agility and keen hunting senses, but because of its remarkable ability to remain unseen.

Bradinopyga geminata (male)

Many people think that dragonflies have no real purpose besides flying around and perhaps being a nuisance. In reality, odonates are some of our greatest  allies, along with spiders (a group of organisms more often misunderstood). Dragonflies are predators – they keep the populations of truly pesky insects in check, such as fruit flies, gnats, and most importantly, mosquitoes. The Granite Ghost is actually so effective as a predator that some cities in Thailand encouraged their breeding habits, consequentially reducing the population of the Aedes mosquito (bearer of multiple fevers) significantly. 

On that note; vermiculture (the cultivation of worms) probably sounds quite bizarre to those unfamiliar with the earthworm’s significance in improving and maintaining soil quality. Could dragonfly culturing be just around the corner, or have I been scratching too many bugbites?  Photographs taken in Dona Paula, Goa.