256: Caliphaea thailandica Asahina, 1976

       Number: 256 / Family: Calopterygidae / Genus: Caliphaea 

Species: Caliphaea thailandica / Thai Shortwing*

Province(s) sighted: Chiang Mai

Habitat: Forested Shaded streams

In flight: July / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: Mnais Andersoni

*As there is no common name, I have used 'Thai' from the Thai name and given the genus the name 'Shortwing'.

One last species I saw in Chiang Mai at Doi Intanon with Noppadpn Makbun was a belter! And we were both surprised to see it! Caliphaea thailandica is a very rare species and we saw a very small number of them as we went from place to place. We spent ages trying to get shots of the first one but it was very shy. However, as we walked along a shaded stream, there seemed to be a male at every other opening with sunlight. As the sun got stronger, the males became less skittish and by the end, we both got plenty of good shots. I must admit, this was a special find for me and I was jumping for joy!

The Male

The male has a beautiful coppery colour on the thorax and abdomen and has yellowish-green at the base of the abdomen. The white dorsal patch is quite large too but it is the unique appendages that separate it from other similar species.

255: Cryptophaea yunnanensis (Davies & Yang, 1996)

      Number: 255 / Family: Euphaeidae / Genus: Cryptophaea

Species: Cryptophaea yunnanensis / Clear-winged Satinwing

Province(s) sighted: Nan

Habitat: Forested Shaded streams

In flight: July / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: N/A

On a recent trip to Nan province with my brother Paul and Noppadon Makbun, we hoped to find plenty of birds and dragonflies. Instead, we ended up trying to photograph moths in our room. We planned to stay for 4-5 nights depending on how good it was. However, it just rain heavily for the entire time, other than two very short afternoons. We got out a little... and saw very little. Nothing was showing as it was cold and miserable. Then, for a brief moment, one female damsel dropped down. Literally one poor photo later (everything was set up wrong and she was far away) and off she went again. And That was it. Fortunately, Noppadon has already seen the species and has good photos. So he knew what it was instantly: Cryptophaea yunnanensis. A new species for my records and I will return to get better photos and see the male hopefully. What is weird, is that Noppadon mentioned that this species is usually very approachable. But not that day! Never mind. Until the next time.

The Female

Terrible photo but at least I have now seen it. Quite a dull female, but has a nice stripe on the abdomen.

254: Bayadera hyalina Selys, 1891

     Number: 254 / Family: Euphaeidae / Genus: Bayadera

Species: Bayadera hyalina / Clear-winged Satinwing

Province(s) sighted: Chiang Mai

Habitat: Forested Shaded streams

In flight: July / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: N/A

*As there is no common name, even for the genus, I decided upon 'Clear-winged' as it ties in with the Thai name and I raised the name 'Clear-winged' for the genus Bayadera. If you can think of better, let me know.

One species I have always wanted to see and apparently lives at Nam Nao National Park (though I have never seen it), is Bayadera hyalina. Well, that chance finally came along on a trip to Chiang Mai with Noppadon Makbun in July, 2024. While we were at Doi Inthanon, one teneral male dropped down onto a leaf right above up obscuring most of it, but you could clearly see the markings. I got a couple of photos, but Noppadon already has great shots of it. For me, it was a first. So I attempted to get him to move a little. It was a calculated risk and it absolutely worked! Then I woke up and ate my cornflakes. Nope... it flew about 10 metres or so, landed, then quickly moved again. I ended up with a couple of terrible shots. I wanted to cry, but then Noppadon reminded me that I had now seen it so not all bad! I will return one day to try and find it again. Having said that, I really want to find it at Nama Nao.

The 'Teneral' Male

Here is what we first saw... you can clearly see the stripes on the thorax.

When I tried to coax him out of hiding, he flew further away and was even more obscured.

Here I could see him better but he was about 15 metres away in the gloom... then gone...

Apologies for these terrible shots but will definitely return to try and find it again!

252: Coeliccia doisuthepensis Asahina, 1984

   Number: 252 / Family: Platycnemididae / Genus: Coeliccia

Species: Coeliccia doisuthepensis / Doi Suthep's Sylvan*

Province(s) sighted: Chiang Mai

Habitat: Forested Stream

In flight: July / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: All Coeliccia Species 

*As there is no common name, I have used 'Doi Suthep' from the Thai name and given the genus the name 'Sylvan', creating Doi Suthep's Sylvan.

One species I had often dreamt about and even looked for it at Phu Hin Rong Kla in hope... but never saw it was Coeliccia doisuthepensis. During a recent trip to Chiang Mai with Noppadon Makbun, we visited an area that is known to have the species amongst others. Sadly, like most other species, it didn't show as it was really dull and breezy. Suddenly, Noppadon pointed out a female in a real darkened area and a spent an age trying to get good shots, and they turned out OK. Then suddenly as I was walking up, I saw a male. It flew about 10 metres away from me and landed on a leaf that was constantly shaking from the breeze. I fired off a few shots but it very quickly became skittish and flew higher and higher up... and... gone. And that was it. I really was expecting it to be quite easy to shoot but nope. Another species I have to return to Chiang Mai to get improvement shots. 

The Male

The male is similar to other species in the genus but S9-10 are orange. There are also more markings present on the thorax. These were the best I could do on a windy day before it flew away.

The Female

Similar to most females in the genus, this one differs slightly due to the yellowish markings at the end of the abdomen.

I will return one day for better shots.

250: Drepanosticta sp. (possibly D. Khaochongensis Asahina, 1984)

   Number: 250 / Family: Platycnemididae / Genus: Drepanosticta

Species: Drepanosticta sp. / -

Province(s) sighted: Phuket

Habitat: Forested Stream

In flight: October / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: All Drepanosticta Species

Back in October, 2018, I took a trip to Phuket with Beau. Obviously it was a normal holiday but I wasn't giving up the chance to have a good look around for odes. I decided on two places (and an area that Oleg Kosterin found Podolestes coomansi, but I couldn't even find the place, let alone the species. On the whole, I was disappointed with what I found (it was very quiet) but maybe because it was October and I was searching blindly, I don't know. One very interesting species I did manage to find, however, at Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary in Phuket was a medium-sized Drepanosticta species. Talking to Noppadon Makbun about it, it is probably Drepanosticta khaochongensis which I would simply call Khao Chong's Shadowdamsel! It was one of only a few species there, though it was early. As the day brightened up, hordes of kids turned up screaming and shouting and diving into the water. I don't blame then, but it made life tough going so I moved on. Oddly, I found this specimen at about 7am. I also saw a female but it moved too high and I couldn't get a shot away in the gloom. I would love to simply put it as D. khaochongensis but for now, I will leave it as Drepanosticta sp. 

The Male

Medium-sized and quite plain, with only the typical blue patch that gave it away, I managed to pick him up and get a couple of photos but this was 7:00am and it was very dull so this is the best I could get. Any advances on species?

243: Anisopleura furcata Selys, 1891

 Number: 243 / Family: Euphaeidae / Genus: Anisopleura

Species: Anisopleura furcata / Northern Scalloped-wing*

Province(s) sighted: Chaing Mai

Habitat: Forested Streams 

In flight: July / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: N/A

*As there is no common name, even for the genus, I decided upon 'Northern Scalloped Wing' as it ties in with the Thai name and I raised the name 'Scalloped-wing' for the genus Anisopleura. If you can think of better, let me know.

When I returned to Doing Inthanon, Chiang Mai for the first time in well over a decade, there was one species that kept on cropping up on other searchers' checklists, was Anisopleura furcata. And oddly, other than a few very common species, it was the first 'special' one to show at Sirphum Waterfall. It was still fairly early in the morning, but one had decided to show and was warming up the early morning sun. It was amazing to see and I was so happy! It was my first 'new species' for the entire trip. I ended up seeing 7-8 specimens in total including male and female.

The Male

I am not entirely sure if this the fully mature male or a young male. Note the appendages and blue face (pic 3). Very cool damsel.

The 'Old' Male

Here is a male and was the first one I ever saw. Note the interesting appendages.

He loved basking in the early morning sunshine.

The 'Young' Male

This (I think) is a young male as it doesn't yet have any pruinescence on S9-10 or the appendages yet.

The Female

I think this might be a young female though not entirely sure. Seems a bit too yellow, whereas the 'old' female may just be mature. Anyone know?

The 'Old' Female

This female looks quite old and was set back a good distance from the stream.

239: Drepanosticta anascephala Fraser, 1933

             Number: 239 / Family: Platystictidae / Genus: Drepanosticta

Species: Drepanosticta anascephala / Doi Suthep's Shadowdamsel*

Province(s) sighted: Chiang Mai

Habitat: Uplands Shaded Streams

In flight: July / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: All Drepanosticta species

*As there is no common name, I decided to name this species as a translation of the Thai name with 'Shadowdamsels' being a common name for the genus.

On a fairly recent trip to Chiang Mai with Noppadon Makbun, we visited Doi Inthanon and a little later Doi Suthep. Here, I managed to get photos of another Drepanosticta species, this time in the shape of Drepanosticta anascephala, now known as Doi Suthep's Shadowdamsel. All Shadowdamsels are extremely difficult to find and it was down to Noppadon Makbun to point it out this time. Worse still, it was very gloomy, a little windy and photography was incredibly difficult. In the end I was really happy to get these photos and identification is made by observing the appendages. Many thanks to Noppadon for leading me to this species. 

The Male

This species is typical in appearance of many in the genus, with a dark thorax with whitish stripe(s), a long dark abdomen with dark whitish rings and is typified by a large blue patch at the end of the abdomen. 

236: Burmargiolestes melanothorax (Selys, 1891)

            Number: 236 / 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.

235: Sundacypha petiolata (Selys, 1859)

           Number: 235 / Family: Chlorocyphidae / Genus: Sundacypha

Species: Sundacypha petiolata / Stream Sapphire

Province(s) sighted: Yala

Habitat: Shaded and Shallow Forest Stream

In flight: August / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: N/A 

Easily one of the highlights of the trip was specifically looking for, and finding, Sundacypha petiolata, commonly known as the Stream Sapphire. It is an incredibly rare species that has only been recently discovered for Thailand and we were kindly told about the location by a couple of birders who are close friends of Noppadon Makbun and in the Facebook group, Dragonflies of Thailand. However, for the first hour or so, it was a no show... just a few common species popping up. As the day warmed, more species showed, typical of forest streams. Eventually, I got the call: "Dennis!!!" I was further down the stream and I could hear Noppadon firing away. I reached him and there it was: a female. We both got plenty of shots in, though it was still a little dull. Then eventually, I spotted a male. Not too skittish, but not that easy. Anyway, we carried on along the stream and saw a few more individuals and some other more common species too. Many thanks to the friends of Noppadon (and Noppadon) for guiding us to the stream. There is no way I would have found it otherwise.

The Male

For me, one of the most beautiful little species known in Thailand. Very small and a little bit skittish, but you can get photos if you see him. Stunning colours with yellow markings on the thorax and orange dorsally on the abdomen. That's before we see the black wingtips that shine iridescent blue in the right light.

The Female

The female isn't as colourful as the male but still beautiful in her own way.

I also got a brief glimpse of a second female (feint wingtips) ovipositing on a twig on the stream, closely guarded by a male.

231: Podolestes orientalis Selys, 1862

         Number: 231 / Family: Argiolestidae / Genus: Podolestes

Species: Podolestes orientalis/ Southeast Asian Flatwing*

Province(s) sighted: Narathiwat

Habitat: Swampy ponds, Streams

In flight: August / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: Podolestes coomansi  

*As there is no common name, I have used 'Southeast Asian' from the Thai name and given the genus the name 'Flatwing', creating the name 'Southeast Asian Flatwing'. This replaces the known 'Blue-spotted Flatwing' as Southeast Asian ties in with 'orientalis'.

A few days after spotting Podolestes coomasni for the first time, Noppadon Makbun and I were slowly wading through a swampy pond that was heavily shaded form trees and shallow in areas but very deep in other parts, making it somewhat treacherous to walk through. Eventually, a few more common species started to show and then a large damselfly landed right in front of me... it was Podolestes... coomansi again? The area was quite dark and the damselfly was difficult to see. Worse still, as I went to take a photo, it lifted up and flew. Fortunately, it flew right near to Noppadon who had more light and he said straight away... it's orientalis! So, Podolestes orientalis, commonly known as the Blue-spotted Flatwing, was a new addition to both our records and we were both incredibly happy! Better still, I got a decent shot of it and we managed to spot 3-4 males that morning. I also saw a female but it was far too skittish and eluded the lens. Interestingly, Podolestes coomansi was also present. 

The male

Very similar in appearance to Podolestes coomansi, the easiest way to separate the species is by looking at the markings on the thorax. They are quite different and quite easy to separate... IF you can see them in the gloom.

This was the first one I saw in the gloom...

223: Libellago stigmatizans (Selys, 1859)

   Number: 223 / Family: Chlorocyphidae / Genus: Libellago

Species: Libellago stigmatizans  / Orange-faced Gem

Province(s) sighted: Songkhla

Habitat: Lowland Forested and Shaded Streams

In flight: August / Sightings (by me): Rare

Species easily confused with: N/A

Well, I DID NOT expect to see this species possibly ever as it is very rare in Thailand and a southern species, so the chances were very low. But, Noppadon Makbun pulled out all the stops as he had seen this species once before at San Kala Khiri National Park which is just inside Songkhla province. There is a wide but shallow stream that runs through the park where I saw Libellago aurantiaca for the first time too. But along a small and heavily shaded stream, Noppadon was sure this is where he saw it... we walked it for a long time and eventually, out of nowhere a solidary male Libellago stigmatizans appeared turned up. Known as the Orange-faced Gem, it was absolutely stunning, just sitting on twigs, some of which were floating along. We both managed to get some OK shots of it, but eventually the light faded. The next day, we would another stretch of the stream and we quickly found one, then another, then another... three males appeared at a small opening. Annoyingly, as there there three of them, they were constantly battling for the best twig on the stream. May a female was about to appear, though we'll never know. Anyway, we managed to get great photos this time round though I did actually just lie down in the stream much to Noppadon's amusement... well worth it though! Many thanks to Noppadon for leading me to it!!!

The Male

Simply beautiful with its greenish blue thorax and orange to black abdomen with his wonderful orange face and black with a purplish sheen on the wing tips. Is there a more handsome species?

222: Libellago hyalina (Selys, 1859)

  Number: 222 / Family: Chlorocyphidae / Genus: Libellago
Species: Libellago hyalina / Clearwing Gem
Province(s) sighted: Narathiwat, Yala
In flight: August / Sightings (by me): Locally common

Habitat: Lowland Forested Streams and Rivers

Species easily confused with: N/A

Well, after years of searching for Libellago hyalina, the Clearwing Gem at Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary in Chaiyaphum where it has been recorded but to no avail, I finally went to Sirindhorn Peat Swamp in Narathiwat where it was abundant. Though the day started very slowly, by the afternoon it was everywhere and there were three forms there! I managed to spot the red, the blue and the purple forms of male and the yellow and dark forms of the female (though I missed a photo). So, here they are... you could say i was a little happy!

The 'Purple' Male

This was the rarest form at the swamp but no less beautiful.

The 'Red' Male

This is the form that is supposed to be the most common and looks like this in Surat Thani where it is also known.

The 'Blue' Male

No idea why but this one was easily the most skittish form. This is the best photo I managed to get of him.

The Female

I thought the female was rather fetching too, especially this form (yellow), sadly I missed getting a decent photo of the dark female.