Number: 140 / Family: Libellulidae / Genus: Phyllothemis
Species: Phyllothemis eltoni / N/A
Habitat: Small Forested Streams/Ponds
Province(s) sighted: Petchabun
Sightings (by me): Rare
In flight (that I have seen): July
Sightings (by me): Rare
In flight (that I have seen): July
A few weeks back, I saw T. irregularis for the first time in Khao Yai. That meant I had photographed both species in the genus... except male T. hyalina. Then at the same pond as the two previous posts (144/145), I saw, what I didn't think was male, T. hyalina simply because of the colour / markings. However, there are many differences with this specimen that don't seem to match either species. As it turns out, I was correct that it wasn't T. hyalina... however, it isn't even that genus. It is, in fact, a rare specimen indeed... Phyllothemis eltoni, though there is a small chance it could be a different species entirely.
The Male
The male is black with blueish markings on both the thorax and the abdomen. The wings are hyaline, stigma black. The markings on both the abdomen and the thorax are very distinct as are those blue eyes. A very handsome male.
Many thanks to Noppadon Makbun for the ID.
This is in genus Phyllothemis. There seems to be at least one species recorded in Thailand. Last year I found similar species in Chiang Mai.
ReplyDeleteYou found them in Helicopter lake???
I'm not sure it's Phyllothemis eltoni or not. The similar one is also spotted in Penninsular Malaysia. Here's the link: http://odonata-malaysia.blogspot.com/2010/03/something-precious.html
ReplyDeleteHi Noppadon. Many thanks for the ID. I thought it was genus Tetrathemis. They are so alike. Shows what I know hahaha. I actually found this at a small, natural pond near Nam Nao town. There are many small ponds in the area and its all uplands, which is great for spotting odonata.
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