127. Ceriagrion cerinorubellum (Brauer, 1865)

Number: 127

Family: Coenagrionidae

Genus: Ceriagrion

Species: Ceriagrion cerinorubellum

Common Name(s): Bi-colored Damsel, Painted Waxtail, 

Ornate Coraltail, Orange-tailed Marsh Dart
Thai name(s): แมลงปอเข็มสีพื้นฟ้าแดง
Habitat: Exposed upland ponds and lakes
Province(s) sighted: Khon Kaen (Khon Kaen); Nam Nao NP (Petchabun); Khao Kitchacut NP (Chantaburi).
Sightings (by me): Uncommon
In flight (that I have seen): April-November 

Number 8! Yes, number 8 of 12 from the genus Ceriagrion... this time in the shape of the beautiful Ceriagrion cerinorubellum. This is a species that I have wanted to see for a long time and only had a very short time to see it. Just one photo, and it was gone. Confident I would see more, including the female, I searched the area, but to no avail. That really was it. Just one specimen. No idea why. Maybe it was a bit of a vagrant and was just being nosey. Maybe I am too early in the season. I will hopefully find out as I am to return to the area again on Saturday. I want to take photos from different angles and also would like to see the female. I can only hope! I now only need to add the following to my blog: C. azureum, C. calamineum, C. nigroflavum, C. pallidum and possibly C. malaisei (though this could be the one I have already found - the photos are not the best for identification). If anyone knows where I can find these species (or even has photos of them for ID purposes), please let me know... I will travel anywhere to see them.

The male

The male really is stunning and I saw it at the water's edge at the Helicopter Pad lake 2 kms from the entrance of Nam Nao National Park. I don't think that it can be mistaken for any other species. The caudal appendages are very long for this genus too. It's eyes and thorax are bright green (and can go more of a blue I think). S1-3 are orange, as well as part of S7-10. The caudal appendages are also orange.

... and a close-up of the first 'blue' male, I saw at Khao Kitchacut NP. This, I believe, is a fully mature male.

The female ...

I saw the female for the first time at Nam Nao NP. However, I have since spotted a number of females at Khao Kitchacut NP. Finally, I have some decent photos.

This species tends to only appear on the dullest of days in north and NE Thailand.

106. Agriocnemis femina femina (Brauer, 1868)

Number: 106

Family: Coenagrionidae

Genus: Agriocnemis 

Species: Agriocnemis femina femina
Common name(s): White-backed Wisp, Pinhead Midget, Pinhead Wisp, Variable Wisp
Thai name: แมลงปอเข็มเล็กขนเทา
Habitat: Generally open, small to medium sized ponds, surrounded by tall grasses

Province(s) sighted: Nam Nao NP/environs (Petchabun);  Phu Kradueng, Phu Rua NP/environs (Loei); Widespread (Chiang Mai); Widespread (Chiang Rai); Khao Yai (Nakhorn Ratchasima); Khao Soi Dao (Chantaburi).
Sightings (by me): Very common (but I've still never seen one in Khon Kaen)
In flight (that I have seen): All year
Species, easily confused with: Agriocnemis minima; Agriocnemis pygmaea

Another microscopic species that belongs to the Agriocnemis genus, is Agriocnemis femina femina. I have overlooked this species for long periods of time, basically because I used to think that a pruinosed Agriocnemis pygmaea was in fact this species (yes, I had a lot to learn back then!). I then learned that this species wasn't actually even present in Khon Kaen and the surrounding areas. Well, in over a year of searching I have only come across A. pygmaea (No. 18 on my blog) and A. minima (No. 17 on my blog). I eventually saw a male in Chiang Mai, but didn't really take much notice of it. It was only when I visited Khao Soi Dao NP that I noticed a small ditch early in the morning just outside the entrance. I had a quick look and noticed Agriocnemis was present. I managed to get a good photo of a pruinosed male and YES! it was A. femina (I have to take a photo to tell the species apart as they are so small). That was the only Agriocnemis species present at that ditch. Since then, I have seen this species at many locations.

The 'mature' male

At certain times of the year (seems to be late in the year), there are hundreds of these little fellows seemingly floating around like little bits of fluff. I think they look great close up. Can be identified by its anal appendages.

Agriocnemis femina, close up - cleaning his appendages (explained to me by Noppadon Makbun)

Agriocnemis femina, close up - now showing a strange appendage near his genitalia

A semi-mature male

Still has slightly red end segments, but is only half pruinosed 

The young male

The young male is the most common of all and is almost identical to Agriocnemis pygmaea, except for the caudal appendages. It is also possible to identify as A. femina as S7 has more of a physical change from black to orange, whereas S7 on A. pygmaea is more of a gradual change from black to orange.

Caudal appendages

Agriocnemis femina, male (caudal appendages) - the easy way to differentiate this species. Looks a bit like a character from the Muppets, I think. 

The 'old' female

This very old female I can only correctly identify, as it was the only Agriocnemis species present at a small ditch in Chantaburi. It's the easy way to tell! If both species were present, I'm not sure I could tell the difference at this stage.

The sub-adult female

The young female can be identified by having prominent black marks on the pronotum (neck). 

The 'green' female

The copula

Here's a young male with a very young female.

Not the best angle in the world, as they sat really low down in a ditch and I couldn't get anywhere near low enough. This is an old male with a very young female... this would be deemed illegal in the human world!

105. Rhinagrion viridatum Fraser, 1938

Number: 105

Family: Philosinidae

Genus: Rhinagrion

Species: Rhinagrion viridatum
Common name(s): N/A
Thai name(s): N/A
Habitat: Heavily forested streams, lowlands & uplands
Province(s) sighted: Sai Thong NP (Chaiyaphum); Nam Nao NP (Petchabun); Phu Kradueng NP (Loei); Khao Yai (Nakhorn Ratchasima); Khao Kitchakut NP (Chantaburi); Koh Chang (Trat).
Sightings (by me): Fairly common, but small numbers
In flight (that I have seen): April-December

In my opinion, Rhinagrion viridatum is one of most stunning damselflies that I have ever seen. Firstly, I saw a male at Khao Kitchakut NP. I also saw 2 males and a female at two different stream locations on Koh Chang. Most recently was at Khao Yai NP (more since then). The ones I have seen, all like deep, dark alcoves (some with almost no light) above a deep cut out of the river that is almost still (probably to make it hard for idiots like me to get near them). I originally thought this was R. mima. However, it is now confirmed as R. viridatum. Primarily because of the location (R. mima is only found in a small number of places in the west of Thailand). R. viridatum is found elsewhere. Secondly, The prominent greenish-blue marks on the abdomen differ to that of R. mima.

Since then, I have spotted another solitary male at Phu Kradueng NP. Oddly, this male was basking in glorious sunshine, unlike the other specimens I have seen which seem to like darkened areas.

The male

The male is a medium-sized damselfly but instantly recognisable. Its thorax boasts vivid greenish-blue stripes on black. The abdomen also has greenish-blue dorsal markings and it also has amazingly colourful orange end segments, which you can see from a good distance. 

Since I wrote this, I recently spotted several males at a very quiet stream at Sai Thong NP, Chaiyaphum province [24.v.14]. Though it is nothing new for me to spot this species, I was suprised to see 4-5 males in one short trip (usually solitary sightings) and they rested around 6 inches above the water, along the steep banking and in close proximity to each other, instead of perching around 1 1/2 metres above the water in the trees (and then higher as soon as you approach them). They were also fairly easy to approach, unlike earlier specimens which fly away at the slightest movement (though I did have to sit fully in the stream up to my chest in order to get good shots). Worth every squelching sound from my boots and underpants as I walked afterwards! Anyway, I think it is impossible not to fall in love with this species.

Here's the male I spotted at Nam Nao (and the only male that loved the brightest sunshine in the world).

Here's a close-up in the brightest sunshine in the world. Still, makes a nice backdrop, I think.

Appendages (lateral view). Note the tuft of hair at the end of the superior appendages.

Appendages (dorsal view). Note the two orange dots which are characteristic of this species. It also has whitish tips to the superior appendages.

Teneral male

This is a newly emerged male, which I saw at a heavily tree-covered pond, Khao Yai National Park. Note how the wings are parallel to the abdomen. They will open out in time. Also... look how S7-10 segments are crushed flat.... er... that was me! It landed in front of me and a spider pounced on it... I pulled it away just in time, but damaged its abdomen in the process. I hope he survives!

Here, you can see where the spider had him by the abdomen (S1-2), dorsally. It's wings were also damaged. I suppose me squashing its abdomen trying to save it didn't help matters... still, I tried!

The female

When I visited a number of waterfalls in Koh Chang (13/04/2011), I was surprised to see this species. I saw 2 males and, in a deep, dark alcove which contained a tiny bit of water at the bottom, I saw my first female. I couldn't even hardly see her it was that dark and I had to take a photo to ID her (using flash of course). I managed to get a few shots of her, before she flew straight up and out of the alcove through a tiny hole at the top.

Ovipositing

I also observed her ovipositing into slightly damp, mossy vegetation, which was growing on a vertical bank, about 1.5 metres above a tiny pool at the edge of the stream.

... and if you look closely, I think that is an egg, but I could be wrong.

The teneral female ...

Here is a young female I saw at Khao Yai, Nakhorn Ratchasima

Although they always seem to be in small numbers, I think this species may be more common than first thought, because they are easily missed... not many people look into dark holes along riverbanks. Other people may think they are crazy!
Many thanks to Noppadon Makbun for the information and confirmation of ID.

98. Ischnura sp. (rufostigma Selys, 1876 - group)

Number: 98

Family: Coenagrionidae

Genus: Ischnura 

Species: Ischnura sp. (rufostigma Selys, 1876 - group)

Common name(s): N/A

Thai name(s): แมลงปอเข็มนาส้มจุดฟ้า, แมลงปอเข็มบ่อผู้เขียวปลายดำ

Habitat: Upland ponds
Province(s) sighted: Doi Inthanon (Chiang Mai).
Sightings (by me): Fairly common at above location
In flight (that I have seen): April (longer, I'm sure

This was a small species that I saw when I visited Doi Inthanon National Park, April 2010. According to Noppadon, it isn't Ischnura rufostigma, but instead part of the rufostigma group. For now, I will simply call it Ischnura rufostigma, until it is described. It is also the third and final addition to the Ischnura genus, completing the group. 

The male

The thorax is black with bright green stripes. S1 is also green and it has two small blue ocular spots. The abdomen is orange from S2-6, S7-10 are black. S8 has a distinctive blue dorsal patch, almost like an upside down "T" shape.

The female

The female is similar to the male, but paler. Also, it only has microscopic blue dorsal patch on S8. 

A copula

I was fortunate to spot and photograph a copula, showing just how more vivid the colours are on the male.

I only saw this species at the small ponds around Doi Inthanon National Park headquarters. If you visit, you will surely find this species. It is difficult to get close to and photography isn't easy.

18. Agriocnemis pygmaea (Rambur, 1842)

Number: 18

Family: Coenagrionidae

Genus: Agriocnemis

Species: Agriocnemis pygmaea

Common name(s): Pygmy Dartlet, Wandering wisp, 

Wandering Midget, Pygmy Wisp

Thai name(s): แมลงปอเข็มแคระธรรมดา

Habitat: Exposed grassy edges of ponds/ditches/lakes, lowlands & uplands

Province(s) sighted: Widespread (Khon Kaen); Nam Nao NP/environs (Petchabun); Khao Yai NP (Nakhorn Ratchasima); Khao Soi Dao (Chantaburi); Widespread (Chiang Mai); Widespread (Kanchanaburi); Koh Chang; Bangkok.

Sightings (by me): Extremely common

In flight (that I have seen): All year

Species easily confused with: Agriocnemis femina; Agriocnemis minima

The third species of Agriocnemis I have seen is Agriocnemis pygmaea, which is extremely common throughout Thailand. Any waterway is sure to have one or two of these little fellows hanging around. They are not easy to spot and because of their size are difficult to photograph, but they are worth the effort. 

The male

The male is pretty easy to identify. It is similar to A. femina femina, but the anal appendages are different. A. pygmaea has two small anal appendages. The male's thorax becomes pruinosed as it matures.

Here is a fully mature male. You can clearly see how the thorax takes on a whiteish colour. Also, the orange end segments fade and become black.

The female

The female takes on many colours throughout its life. Below is the 'green' adult female.

Here is a slightly younger female. It still has a touch of brown.

This is a sub-adult female, which is more of a reddish-brown colour.

Here is a newly emerged female. It will only be a few hours old. You can still make out the markings.

For the first recently, I saw a female that also had become pruinose. Shows that I am still learning!

Early morning breakfast ... unfortunately

The copula

This is a fairly common sight, here in the "wheel" position. However, it is really difficult to get good photos as they are so small and live close to the ground in the grasses.