200. Lyriothemis cleis Brauer, 1868

No: 200 / Family: Libellulidae / Genus: Lyriothemis

Name: Lyriothemis cleis / Yellow-striped Bombardier* / แมลงปอบ้านมนขีดขาว

Habitat: Grassy areas near lowlands streams
Province(s) sighted: Narathiwat; Yala
In flight: April & August / Sightings (by me): Rare 

Easily confused with: N/A

*Common name made up by me

Back in 2008, I was sat having a beer late afternoon and a male Diplacodes trivialis (I had no idea at the time what species it was) plopped right down in front of me. It then flew off and a few moments later, returned to the exact same place now with a small fly in its mouth. Watching it 'ball up' its meal I was transfixed and have never looked back since...

Well, after a full ten years, I have FINALLY got myself 200 photographed species from within Thailand. I have, of course, seen several more but actually getting decent quality photographs that can be used to ID species is another story. Also, by factoring in living in Khon Kaen, being a teacher (so limited budget and very limited time), and doing everything totally by myself (99% of trips have been solo missions, though my brother and a few others have made my trips better in the last few years) is rather impressive if I may say so myself. That's not to say that I haven't had any help... Noppadon Makbun, Oleg Kosterin to name but a few, as well as amazing help from the dragon hunters on Facebook's Dragonflies of Thailand. I could go on, but if I haven't mentioned you, please know that I appreciate the help... and may need it again somewhere down the line. Some of the species are yet to be identified (by science) but I am happy that they are at least separate species. I have a few more to add and a few that I can't add as I simply can't ID them or the angles are all wrong. 


Anyway, onto the 200th species... and a special one to say the least. All Lyriothemis species are rare and hard to locate, even if you know where they are supposed to be. And Lyriothemis cleis is no different. It is a rare species that I was simply incredibly lucky to spot near the waterfall at Hala-Bala WS. However, it didn't all go swimmingly... well, I went swimming to get good shots of Dysphaea dimidiata dimidiata and that seemed to be the killer blow! 

Anyway, as I was waiting around for the birders to turn up I saw a dull red dragon right in front of me. It was perched on a frond in the early morning sunshine which was poking through the tree canopy. I knew what it was straight away but one shot (that didn't come out) and my camera packed up. Aaaarrrggghhhh!!! Dead. Nothing. Now't. I knew the birder gang was about 100 metres away so I had to run to them grab my brother's camera, switch over the lens and then run back... a man had just walked past and it was gone... I was knackered, sweating and pissed off on several counts. No dragon and my camera was dead. I WASN'T giving up. I searched the whole area but it simply wasn't there. However, out came the sun and, with it, came that dull red dragon once more. Now, I was ready... plenty of good shots and it was in the bag. I was soooooooo elated until I walked back to the birder boys who were inspecting my camera... and then the realisation sank in: my dead camera. To cut a long story short, however, 24 hours later it started working again and it was game on again!

The male
The male has a dull red abdomen and also has distinctive yellowish stripes on the abdomen.

The female
Recently, I managed to spot a few more males and was lucky enough to spot a female too in the province of Yala, back in August, 2025.

The female is similar to the male with a dull red abdomen and yellowish stripes on the abdomen. However, I have seen photos of the female looking more orange than red.

199. Devadatta argyoides (Selys, 1859)

Number: 199  

Family: Devadattidae

Genus: Devadatta  

Species: Devadatta argyoides

Common name(s): Malayan Grisette  

Synonyms: Tetraneura argyoides Selys, 1859   

Habitat: A leafy (but boggy) road overflow area nr. HB HQ  

Province(s) sighted: Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary (Narathiwat) 

Sightings (by me): 1 male 2 females 

In flight (that I have seen): April    

Species easily confused with: --

As with many species, Devadatta argyoides was one of those that seems locally common along the west of Thailand southwards and has just simply evaded my camera. However, even when I did come across it, I almost missed it as it was at a tiny overflow area at the bottom of the road at HQ. There was a tiny, but inaccessible trickle running through and it would appear that a few species were hanging on in there until the rains arrived. I also saw a solitary male and a female Prodasineura collaris, a male Cratilla metallica and a solitary male Tyriobapta torrida hanging around the concrete posts close by! There were also several males of an Idionyx sp. flitting about at a million miles an hour as dusk approached (but were way to fast to catch or ID). Anyway, at around 6.30am, I noticed a female perched on a twig just above the rotting leaves. I almost ignored it, but my brain took over and I tried to photograph it... damn!!! The lens had fogged up! I had to wait almost 30 minutes for it to clear. By then, the damsel had gone! Amazingly, I found another slightly further away and it was fairly easy to get shots though the lighting was terrible. I returned to the same place the following afternoon and was fortunate enough to spot the male, who was also quite happy to let me snap away! So, not bad for a pile of leaves!

The male
The male is very dull in appearance but does have a few flecks of blue on its abdomen.

I was also fortunate enough to capture the male with my fingers and could use (slightly) better lighting...

The female

The female is very similar to the male but has a more robust abdomen. It is also fairly easy to approach, though by mid-morning they had disappeared.

198. Zygonyx ida Hagen, 1867

Number: 198  

Family: Libellulidae

Genus: Zygonyx  

Species: Zygonyx ida 

Common name(s): N/A  

Synonyms: Pseudomacromia luxuriosus Karsch, 1893    

Habitat: Lowland forested river   

Province(s) sighted: Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, (Narathiwat) 

Sightings (by me): Rare (1 male) 

In flight (that I have seen): April    

Species easily confused with: Zygonyx iris malayana

A very rare species for Thailand that can be found at Hala-Bala didn't let me down. Zygonyx ida is known from the extreme south of Thailand and is clearly a species that is restricted by range (apparently locally common in Malaysia). However, even right on the border it almost eluded me -- as did a number of species I wanted to see. However, observing a number of fast-flying specimens (mostly Z. iris malayana) I was eventually drawn to a male that, well, just seemed smaller and did its own thing. Instead of flying high up it purposefully flew close to the surface of the river but patrolled constantly in the same way as its more common cousin. After a number of poor shots in flight I managed to get one that was good enough for an ID and it was indeed Z. ida!!! So, I settled down and reeled off a million shots until I managed to get a couple that were of a decent level (for my standards anyway). Amazingly, it landed right in front of me on a long stem of grass but flew off well before I could adjust the camera. Still, I am happy with the photos and hope to see it again one day. I am sure that is can be found elsewhere in Thailand but Hala-Bala seems like the best place right now.

The male

Very similar to Z. iris malayana but is noticeably smaller and has distinct white rings along the abdomen.

197. Prodasineura sp.

Number: 197  

Family: Platycnemididae

Genus: Prodasineura

Species: Prodasineura sp.

Common name(s): 

Synonyms: N/A    

Habitat: Forested sandy-bottomed stream  

Province(s) sighted: Lower reaches of Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary (Narathiwat)

Sightings (by me): Locally common 

In flight (that I have seen): April   

Species easily confused with: Prodasineura autumnalis, prodasineura verticalis

One species that I expected to see at Hala-Bala did not disappoint, although it took a little bit of searching to find it. Instead of being at the wildlife sanctuary, it was fairly abundant at a couple of the more open and sandy-bottomed streams nearer the base of Bala. Prodasineura sp. (whichever species it is), is very similar in every aspect to P. autumnulis and P. verticalis and the genus needs revision. Like most species in the genus, it likes to hang low down near the stream's edges and is difficult to photograph. These were the best I could get in blazing sunshine, as my neck was slowly turning into the appearance of a gingerbread biscuit.

The male

196. Lyriothemis biappendiculata (Selys, 1878)

Number: 196  

Family: Libellulidae

Genus: Lyriothemis

Species: Lyriothemis biappendiculata

Common name(s): N/A

Synonyms: Calothemis biappendiculata    

Habitat: Forested stream  

Province(s) sighted: Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary (Narathiwat)

Sightings (by me): 1 male 

In flight (that I have seen): April   
Species easily confused with: --

Halfway through the morning of the first full day, my camera packed up. I was gutted, though it was probably my fault (I had been swimming to get a shot) and I think a little water trickled down my wet sleeve and managed to get into the battery compartment (however, it seemed to work later--see full article on Hala-Bala which will be posted shortly). So, one morning was traipsing behind the birder group I was with. It was, of course, interesting as I learnt a little about some of the birds there. However, I was champing at the bit to get on with dragon hunting... way behind my brother, I heard him call out. I ran (well, rather hobbled as 'stiffleg syndrome' had set in from the previous day's walking). Anyway, as I reached him I could already see a solitary red dragonfly perched on a stick at the edge of the path. I knew straight away that it was Lyriothemis sp. and a new one at that for me. However, armed only with a 100-400mm lens and set up for birding getting a shot proved tricky. So, between me and my brother we fired off a few shots and this one was the best that came out. Turns out to be Lyriothemis biappendiculata, male -- a species that has been reported from a few places including Khao Yai and so I hope to see it again one day, especially the female as it looks so cool.

Anyway, thanks to my brother, Paul, for the use of his camera in my time of need and for even potentially taking the shot!!! Turned out quite nice, really.

195. Coeliccia albicauda (Förster in Laidlaw & Förster, 1907)

Number: 195  

Family: Platycnemididae

Genus: Coeliccia

Species: Coeliccia albicauda

Common name(s): Yellow-tailed Forested Damsel

Synonyms: N/A    

Habitat: Forested stream  

Province(s) sighted:Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary (Narathiwat)

Sightings (by me): Uncommon (7-8 males) 

In flight (that I have seen): April   

Species easily confused with: Coeliccia didyma, Coeliccia nigrescens, Coeliccia sp. (undescribed species),  Coeliccia kimurai 

One species I should have come across whenever I visited the western part of Thailand is Coeliccia albicauda. However, until my last trip it had always eluded me for some reason. At Hala-Bala, however, I noticed a small C. loogali-sized damsel clinging on to a leaf on the ground along a dark and dingy trail. I managed to get a few shots away and then realised that it was in the bag! However, it proved to be an absolute nightmare to get anything that resembled a decent shot... and there was no way that I was settling for a record shot after waiting so long to see it. So, many, many, many attempts later I managed to get what I would deem pretty decent shots (to say that I was on my arse in a muddy puddle in poor lighting trying to take a photo of a dark needle over a muddy ditch). Still, they turned out OK in the end. I managed to spot a few more males during the trip but each and every one seemed to prefer darkened areas almost on the deck. I managed to get a glimpse of a female but it shot off before I could get any shots off.

The male

A typical pose while trying to get the right shot away (you can see the puddle it liked)...

*Photo of me courtesy of Sum Nara Nara (our awesome guide for the trip)

194. Cratilla metallica (Brauer, 1878)

Number: 194  

Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Cratilla
Species: Cratilla metallica
Common name(s): Dark-tipped Forest-skimmer 

Synonyms: N/A    

Habitat: Temporary ditches in forested area 

Province(s) sighted: Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary and To Mo Community Forest (Narathiwat)

Sightings (by me): 2 males

In flight (that I have seen): April 

Species easily confused with: Cratilla lineata calverti

Well, I promised myself a trip to the south and I couldn't have got any further... Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary in Narathiwat was a super-cool place that houses a lot of great species and has the potential for a whole lot more. That said, I saw plenty, including one I have always wanted to see in Cratilla metallica. It is a brilliant species and lives and acts in a very similar way to its cousin, C. lineata, which I also saw there. However, I only managed to spot two males and sadly didn't get to see the female. C. metallica is found from Kanchanaburi south, though I am not sure how common it is. If you manage to hit the south, look for tiny ditches along trails in the forest. Hopefully, you will manage to spot one or two like I did guarding 'their' mud hole. 

The male

He is very easy to ID due to the distinct double blue bands across the abdomen and the black tips to the wings which give it its nickname. It also has a wonderful metallic green thorax (which obviously gives it its scientific name). 

Here, you can see his awesome green metallic thorax.

Hopefully, I will spot the female one day...