Number: 238 / Family: Rhipidolestidae / Genus: Burmargiolestes
Species: Burmargiolestes melanothorax / Orange-faced Burmese Damselfly*
Province(s) sighted: Chiang Mai
Habitat: Uplands Shaded Streams/Ponds
In flight: August / Sightings (by me): Locally Common
Species easily confused with: N/A
*As there is no common name, I have based in on the Thai name, with the fact that it has an orange face and was first described from Burma. Can you think of better?
Almost 15 years past from my first visit to Chiang Mai searching for dragonflies when I found 40 new species for my records... I was over the moon. But in all the times I had been since, I never ever saw one I was desperate to see: Burmargiolestes melanothorax, which am now giving the common name, the Orange-faced Burmese Damselfly for now at least. Anyway, it took another trip, along with Noppadon Makbun and a lot of searching and then, in an instant, I saw a female... and then a male... and then more. In fact, there were lots of them in the gloom. Hard to photograph, but there, all thanks to Noppadon! I was so happy to finally put it to bed and got decent shots of the male and the female.
The Male
I can't show you this species without showing his face first. Is there anything better? Rather a plain-looking species but that orange face changes everything. It was worth the 15-years wait!
And a more traditional shot of him...
The Female
The female is very much like the male minus the orange face but is much more robust. She does have nice orange legs, though.
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