Mortonagrion varralli

Mortonagrion varralli, the brown dartlet, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae, endemic to India. The insect is named after Frederic Charles Fraser's wife, Ethel Grace Fraser, a constant companion of his collecting trips in India.

Description and habitat

It is a small damselfly with ground-colour head and brown capped grey eyes. Its thorax is pale brown with a narrow antehumeral pale blue stripe, followed by pale blue at base. Abdomen is reddish-brown; 8th segment has a broader pale sky-blue basal annule which extends apically on each side. Female is similar to the male.
The species is commonly found at sea-level or on the foothills of the Western Ghats. Similarly to species in the genus Copera, it prefers the dense undergrowth.