Thursday, November 10, 2016

188. Tramea virginia (Rambur, 1842)

Number: 188  
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Tramea   
Species: Tramea virginia 
Common name(s): Saddlebag Glider  
Synonyms: N/A    
Habitat: Lowland Forested pond   
Province(s) sighted: Phu Wiang National Park, (Khon Kaen) 
Sightings (by me): Rare (1 male) 
In flight (that I have seen): September    
Species easily confused with: Tramea transmarina euryale

Well, I am desperate to get to that magical 200 species barrier (though I may need a few more due to some of them not identified yet - I really want 200 identified species photographed). And, though it is rare nowadays, I will never give up until I get there. I am now in the process of wading through about 10 million backed up photos  (sorting out other bugs and animals too). Suddenly, from a set of photos from Phu Wiang last year, I noticed a few record shots of a Tramea transmarina euryale male that, well, didn't sit right. The problem was that there were several males flitting about on that  day and all seemed to want to land on the same stick. I took a few photos and left it at that (a record shot for Khon Kaen). In any case, I was preoccupied with hundreds of Amphiallagma parvum at the same small pond (I had only ever seen them in tiny numbers before). But, looking carefully again last night, one of the specimens was clearly not T. transmarina euryale. The colour patches on the wing bases were far too big and I also noticed that it had a whitish face instead of having a metallic blueish patch. Doing a little research I saw Tom Kompier's brilliant examples from Vietnam and started to get excited. I then sent my photo to Noppadon Makbun, who did a little research himself and came up with it probably being Tramea virginia the same species I thought it was. I couldn't be happier. And though it's only a record shot (and the sun was right in my face), I now know where it is... and I will find it again.


According to the IUCN Red List: "There is a single old record from Thailand". So, not a bad find really!


You can see the large patch on the base of the wings and he has a whitish face.




I will return and find you again for better shots!

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