No: 80 / Family: Lestidae / Genus: Lestes
Name: Lestes concinnus / Dusky spreadwing
Habitat: Often Found in Long Grasses of Open, Dusty Fields in the Lowlands
Province(s): Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Petchabun, Loei
In flight: March-December / Sightings (by me): Locally common
In flight: March-December / Sightings (by me): Locally common
Easily confused with: Lestes elatus, Lestes viridulus
Another Lestes species, and the first one I ever saw in Khon Kaen (once I properly started searching), is Lestes concinnus. Known as the Dusky Spreadwing, it seems to be a fairly common species and has fairly recently had a 'Dark Form' added. But the dark form is very rare and even the normal form is one you have to go in search for, as I have found it often well away from any water source in open, barren fields. Therefore, I haven't seen one for a fairly long time, except when they pop up at marshland from time to time.
The Male
The male is a light or tan brown in colour. I spotted this specimen in Khon Kaen in marshland area. Very brownish, sandy coloured in appearance, it is often found in patchy grassy areas where there is a lot of sandy ground... sometimes very far away from a water source.
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The 'Dark Form' Male
These is also a Dark Form or Eastern Form that was once though to be Lestes thoracicus, but alas, no. Many years after I first saw in (back in 2008), it was decided that it was the same species as L. concinnus, though I still have my doubts (out of desperation haha). However, no. It is the same, but blue! I wonder if it is blue as it is near a water source, whereas the brown ones are not? Probably not haha.
The Female
The female is almost identical to the male, only the caudal appendages differ and the abdomen is more robust.
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The 'Dark Form' Female
This is the Dark-form female and this photo is actually from back in 2009 and in in my back garden at the time. Also back then, this was Lestes thoracicus for a good few years, though was downgraded eventually to just a dark form. I wanted to cry when I heard this as I thought Khon Kaen had a special species!
Dear Dennis.
ReplyDeleteQuite a time ago I was striken by these your photos as I never heard L. concinnus gets blueish or greenish. Asahina describes it as entirely pale browhist tinted insect", and so I saw it many times and so are the second and fourth your photos which you suppose to show young individuals. Also the broad dark dorsal stripe in the 'adult male' is strange.
What I am trying to say: the bluish ones are Lestes thoracicus Laidlaw. I see two characteristic dots on the metepisternum of the prothorax, don't I? Asahina points at these dots and describes the colour as 'bluish olive' and wrote 'abdomen mat black dorsally' for the male, isn't so in yours? What is also characteristic for the species but not seen here: the pterostigma dark inside and light outside.
So, my very cautious congratulations with one more species.
Were these 'mature' damsels truly common in Khon Kaen?
The 'immatures' seem to be true concinnus.
P. S. Did you get two my recent mails (with the paper draft and the Cambodian report?)
No, congratulations are firm, nevertheless!
ReplyDeleteThe two photos on asia-dragonfly.net do show the pterostigm as needed.
Hi Dr. Oleg. Many many thanks for the information and the new ID!!! I have now moved the photos to their own blog page. Also, yes, I have received all recent emails... I have looked through them briefly, but I am extremely busy at the moment. I will read and comment later today. Many thanks once again.
ReplyDeleteDear sir, I have doubt between Lestes umbrinus and concinnus. The specimens we have from India are having a thin dorsal black line on the last abdominal segments. So, I need your help to confirm these two species. Do you have any umbrinus in Thailand?
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Prosenjit