A very short trip to Khon Kaen

Location: Khon Kaen environs

Date: Friday, 8 November 2013

Areas visited: Heavily tree-lined pond / short canal section about 15 kms outside KK city.

 

Yesterday, I managed to sneak in a very short dragonfly hunting session. Obviously with time constraints, I decided to head towards one of my favourite places in KK. A small, heavily tree-lined pond that takes on the form of a canal-like structure, which can be followed for about 500 metres (though it is extremely difficult). Eventually the canal disappears into open, cultivated farmland. In the past, it has thrown up a number of uncommon species (extremely rare for KK), including; Heliaeschna uninervulata, Camacinia gigantea, Ceriagrion cerinorubellum and Lestes concinnus. It was also the place where I first ever saw Copera chantaburii and was the reason why I returned there. I had lost my original photos from about 4 years back. Not expecting to see much, it turned out that it must be a good year for C. chantaburii - they were everywhere! I got a few good photos of the male and female and was about to go home when I saw a greenish-bodied male Gynacantha sp. I knew straight away that it was G. saltatrix. It was low down in deep grasses and impossible to photograph. I tried to shoo it out of the grasses but it flew away. I followed it deeper into the grasses, all surrounded by heavy tree cover. I was amazed to spot around 10 individuals and a number of G. subinterrupta as well. I even managed to spot my first ever Lathrecista asiatica asiatica at the location to round off the day perfectly ... and bring my total number of species sighted here to 40. Not bad for a little pond in flat, boring Khon Kaen!

 

Best photos of the session:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species list from the location:

 

   Familyily: Coenagrionidae

Aciagrion borneense

Aciagrion pallidum

Agriocnemis minima

Agriocnemis pygmaea

Ceriagrion cerinorubellum

Ceriagrion indochinense

Ceriagrion praetermissum

Ischnura senegalensis

Pseudagrion microcephalum

Pseudagrion rubriceps rubriceps

 

   Family: Chlorocyphidae

Libellago lineata

 

   Family: Lestidae

Lestes concinnus

 

    Family: Platycnemididae

Copera chantaburii

Copera ciliata

Copera marginipes

 

   Family: Protoneuridae

Prodasineura autumnalis

 

   Family: Aeshnidae

Gynacantha saltatrix

Gynacantha subinterrupta

Heliaeschna uninervulata

 

   Family: Corduliidae

Epophthalmia frontalis frontalis (visual sighting only)

 

   Family: Gomphidae

Ictinogomphus decoratus melaenops

 

   Family: Libellulidae

Acisoma panorpoides

Aethriamanta aethra

Brachydiplax chalybea chalybea

Brachythemis contaminata

Camacinia gigantea

Crocothemis servilia servilia

Diplacodes nebulosa

Diplacodes trivialis

Lathrecista asiatica asiatica

Neurothemis intermedia atalanta

Neurothemis tullia tullia

Orthetrum sabina sabina

Pantala flavescens

Pseudothemis jorina

Rhodothemis rufa

Rhyothemis phyllis phyllis

Rhyothemis variegata variegata

Tholymis tillarga

Urothemis signata signata