Twister (Tholymis tillarga)

Cover photo by John Wilkinson.

Find the Twister in the FBIS database (Freshwater Biodiversity Information System) here.

Family Libellulidae

Identification

Medium-large size

Length up to 48mm; Wingspan attains 79mm.

Adult male Twisters are distinctive and unmistakable. The thorax and abdomen are coral-red overall, without any obvious markings. The brown and white blotches in each hindwing are diagnostic.

Females are less distinctive but are identifiable by the feint brown panels in the hind wings, plain colouration and habits. They most resemble an old or worn Pantala flavescens (Wandering Glider). Female Twisters can be told apart by the feint brown markings in the hindwings and the thin dark lines at each segment on the abdomen.

Click here for more details on identification.

Habitat

The Twister is mostly found in hot and humid, well-wooded forest and savanna areas. It breeds at vegetated still-water habitats like pans, pools, marshes, dams, and the backwaters of slow-moving rivers.

Behaviour

The Twister is a crepuscular species and is most active at dawn and dusk. They may also emerge to hunt during humid, muggy weather preceding rain and thunderstorms. The Twister flies low and fast over water bodies or clearings while hunting small aerial insects.

Rests up in the shade of trees and bushes during the day, where it may be found some distance from water. The Twister hangs vertically when perched, usually on an exposed twig in the undergrowth.

The female deposits her eggs in flight, on slightly submerged plant stems. The name ‘Twister’ originates from the female’s habit of twisting at intervals between egg-laying dips. The male hovers nearby to protect his mate from being intercepted by rival males. In South Africa, the Twister is on the wing from December to May.

Status and Conservation

The Twister is generally scarce and localised in South Africa. It is listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as of Least Concern due to its wide distribution. It can be abundant in some regions such as the Okavango delta in Botswana. The Twister is a fairly adaptable species and does make use of suitable man-made habitats for breeding.

Distribution

The Twister is a widespread, tropical species that is found across sub-Saharan Africa to tropical Asia and Australia. It also occurs on many islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans. In Africa Tholymis tillarga is resident in the tropics and sub-tropics, including north-eastern South Africa. The Twister migrates seasonally into the northern and southern parts of its African range.

As a strong-flying migratory species, it has the potential to erratically appear almost anywhere within the summer-rainfall zone, including the drier central parts of South Africa.

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for the Tholymis tillarga in South
Africa. Taken from the the OdonataMAP database as at February 2020.

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for the Tholymis tillarga in South
Africa. Taken from the the OdonataMAP database as of December 2024.

The next map below is an imputed map, produced by an interpolation algorithm, which attempts to generate a full distribution map from the partial information in the map above. This map will be improved by the submission of records to the OdonataMAP section of the Virtual Museum.

Ultimately, we will produce a series of maps for all the odonata species in the region. The current algorithm is a new algorithm. The objective is mainly to produce “smoothed” maps that could go into a field guide for odonata. This basic version of the algorithm (as mapped above) does not make use of “explanatory variables” (e.g. altitude, terrain roughness, presence of freshwater — we will be producing maps that take these variables into account soon). Currently, it only makes use of the OdonataMAP records for the species being mapped, as well as all the other records of all other species. The basic maps are “optimistic” and will generally show ranges to be larger than what they probably are.

These maps use the data in the OdonataMAP section of the Virtual Museum, and also the database assembled by the previous JRS funded project, which was led by Professor Michael Samways and Dr KD Dijkstra.

Further Resources

The use of photographs by John Wilkinson is acknowledged. All other photographs by Ryan Tippett.

Twister Tholymis tillarga  (Fabricius, 1798)

Other common names: Coral-tailed Cloudwing, Old World Twister, Evening Skimmer, Crepuscular Darter (Alt. English); Vlegtertjie (Afrikaans)

Recommended citation format: Loftie-Eaton M; Navarro R; Tippett RM; Underhill L. 2025. Twister Tholymis tillarga. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2020/05/12/twister-tholymis-tillarga/

References: Tarboton, M; Tarboton, W. (2019). A Guide to the Dragonflies & Damselflies of South Africa. Struik Nature.

Samways, MJ. (2008). Dragonflies and Damselflies of South Africa. Pensoft

Samways, MJ. (2016). Manual of Freshwater Assessment for South Africa: Dragonfly Biotic Index.Suricata 2. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

Martens, A; Suhling, F. (2007). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Namibia. Gamsberg Macmillan.