110: Orthetrum testaceum testaceum (Burmeister, 1839)

No: 110 / Family: Libellulidae / Genus: Orthetrum

Name: Orthetrum t. testaceum / Orange Forest Hawk* 

Habitat:  Forested ponds, marshland and lakes

Province(s): Kanchanaburi, Narathiwat, Yala, Songkhla
In flight: March-August / Sightings (by me): Locally common

Easily confused with: Crocothemis servilia, Macrodiplax cora, Rhodothemis rufa

*Though this species has been given the common name Orange Skimmer, I will change it to Orange Forest Hawk to be consistent with the rest of the genus.

There are 9 species of the Orthetrum genus, and I have now added 7 to my blog, with the most recent addition being Orthetrum testaceum testaceum. I just need to find O. t. malaccense and O. japonicum internum. Hopefully I will find them one day! 

The male

Also known as the Orange Skimmer, I spotted this male at a muddy puddle at Sai Yok Yai waterfall, where it was annoying female Cratilla lineata which were oviopsiting into the muddy ditch on a pathway. Unfortunately, the females were too fast to photograph, but I spotted a male above them in a tree. The male is similar to O. chrysis, but is red on the thorax dorsally and the colour at the base of the wings is more prominent. I have since seen it several times in the deep south of Thailand where it is more commonly seen.

The Male

A very bright orange-red colour, it can be confused with a few other species (see above). It is also a rather skittish species and takes a while to get close. 

The Female

This record shot of the female had literally just broken from a copula with the male (can be seen). I believe that the blueish dots on the top of the thorax are key to ID of females of this species when the males are not around.