71. Neurothemis fluctuans (Fabricius, 1793)

No: 71 / Family: Libellulidae / Genus: Neurothemis

Name: Neurothemis fluctuans / Common Parasol 

Habitat: Forested Ponds, Lakes and Rivers

Province(s): Chiang Mai, Chantaburi, Trat, Pratchup Khiri Khan, Narathiwat, Yala, Songkhla, Udon Ratchathani, Sakhon Nakhon
In flight: April-December / Sightings (by me): Locally common

Easily confused with: Camacinia gigantea, Neurothemis fulvia, Neurothemis ramburii

One species that is supposed to be common, but I have only seen seldomly, is Neurothemis fluctuans, commonly known as the Common Parasol. When I was in Chiang Mai, I saw a solitary male at the River Ping for the first time. Since then I have spotted this species at a number of areas, often on the edge of forests. Though certainly uncommon in the northeast of Thailand, it can be incredibly common and even the dominant species at numerous locations around Thailand.

The Male

 It is often confused with the very similar species, Neurothemis fulvia. The easy way to tell them apart is the wing pattern. On the male Neurothemis fluctuans, the edge of the colour on the hind wings is arced. Also, the marks on the abdomen are slightly different. The mature male is more cherry red/brown in colour.

The 'Young' Male

The young male is similar to the mature male but the colours are pale.

The Female

Right after spotting the young male, I saw a female in the same bush for the one and only time. It is very similar to the young male, but  doesn't have any colouration to the wings. Since then, I spotted several females at a ditch right on the beach at Koh Chang, though photographing them was too difficult.

The 'Rare' Female

Here is a rare form of the female that takes on the male traits and looks like a young male. This one I saw at Phu Phan National Park, Kalasin one November.

The 'Dark' Form

While I was in Ubon Ratchathani, back in April, 2022, I saw a number of different-looking specimens. Clearly a different population. I will call these the 'Dark Form'. As you can see the colouration is quite different indeed. Very interesting. 

Male, then female