Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens)
Bob Glotzhober
This is a medium-sized, yellowish dragonfly with shiny red eyes. This, combined with its easy, floating flight, makes field identification easy. The wandering glider is also known as the “globe skimmer,” as it is found on all continents except Antarctica. Recent studies show that these gliders participate in an annual migration following the monsoon rains from India to southeastern Africa and back with an estimated round-trip flight of 8,750 to 11,250 miles. The males may defend territories, floating about six feet off the ground over an area as large as 10 by 50 yards.
Females oviposit during solitary flight by tapping the abdomen on the surface of the water, dropping a few eggs at a time over a period of several days, until they have released 600 to 800 eggs. Sometimes females are fooled by shiny cars and fly around parking lots depositing eggs onto car hoods and roofs. Eggs hatch quickly and larvae can develop into adults in as little as 51 to 72 days. In tropical India, they may go through three complete life cycles in a single season. Adults average in length between 1.7 to 2 inches.
The wandering glider is also known as the “globe skimmer,” as it is found on all continents except Antarctica. 56