A short trip to Khon Kaen ... part 2

Location: Khon Kaen environs

Date: Saturday, 16 November 2013

Areas visited: Heavily tree-lined pond / short canal section about 15 kms outside KK city.

Yesterday, I returned to the same location as the previous week, in order to improve photos of male/female Gynacantha saltatrix. I managed to locate specimens again and also enjoyed sighting a few more species for the season. The weather was lovely and overcast too. Though it was quiet, I managed to spot male and female Lestes concinnus for the first time in four years. I also saw Aciagrion borneense and Diplacodes nebulosa for the first time this season in Khon Kaen. Scratched, bitten, muddy and tired, it was a difficult day in terms of locating species, but I can't help but love that cloudy weather for photography.

My best photos of the day:

My first sighting of this species in four years. 

After lots of hard effort many cuts and scratches from horrible bushes, I managed to get full shots of male and female (this species rests really low down in the low leaves and grasses - probably why they are green). It's a shame that they are ALWAYS hiding amongst lots and lots of grass!

New sightings at this location for the year.

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 The same female on the same stick from last week ... but a much improved photo of her!

 

Copula spotted sometimes, but really difficult to photograph ... they love dark, dingy places often dry, but muddy.

 

 

And a few of the regulars at this time of year ... they deserve a look in too!

 

A very short trip to Khon Kaen

Location: Khon Kaen environs

Date: Friday, 8 November 2013

Areas visited: Heavily tree-lined pond / short canal section about 15 kms outside KK city.

 

Yesterday, I managed to sneak in a very short dragonfly hunting session. Obviously with time constraints, I decided to head towards one of my favourite places in KK. A small, heavily tree-lined pond that takes on the form of a canal-like structure, which can be followed for about 500 metres (though it is extremely difficult). Eventually the canal disappears into open, cultivated farmland. In the past, it has thrown up a number of uncommon species (extremely rare for KK), including; Heliaeschna uninervulata, Camacinia gigantea, Ceriagrion cerinorubellum and Lestes concinnus. It was also the place where I first ever saw Copera chantaburii and was the reason why I returned there. I had lost my original photos from about 4 years back. Not expecting to see much, it turned out that it must be a good year for C. chantaburii - they were everywhere! I got a few good photos of the male and female and was about to go home when I saw a greenish-bodied male Gynacantha sp. I knew straight away that it was G. saltatrix. It was low down in deep grasses and impossible to photograph. I tried to shoo it out of the grasses but it flew away. I followed it deeper into the grasses, all surrounded by heavy tree cover. I was amazed to spot around 10 individuals and a number of G. subinterrupta as well. I even managed to spot my first ever Lathrecista asiatica asiatica at the location to round off the day perfectly ... and bring my total number of species sighted here to 40. Not bad for a little pond in flat, boring Khon Kaen!

 

Best photos of the session:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species list from the location:

 

   Familyily: Coenagrionidae

Aciagrion borneense

Aciagrion pallidum

Agriocnemis minima

Agriocnemis pygmaea

Ceriagrion cerinorubellum

Ceriagrion indochinense

Ceriagrion praetermissum

Ischnura senegalensis

Pseudagrion microcephalum

Pseudagrion rubriceps rubriceps

 

   Family: Chlorocyphidae

Libellago lineata

 

   Family: Lestidae

Lestes concinnus

 

    Family: Platycnemididae

Copera chantaburii

Copera ciliata

Copera marginipes

 

   Family: Protoneuridae

Prodasineura autumnalis

 

   Family: Aeshnidae

Gynacantha saltatrix

Gynacantha subinterrupta

Heliaeschna uninervulata

 

   Family: Corduliidae

Epophthalmia frontalis frontalis (visual sighting only)

 

   Family: Gomphidae

Ictinogomphus decoratus melaenops

 

   Family: Libellulidae

Acisoma panorpoides

Aethriamanta aethra

Brachydiplax chalybea chalybea

Brachythemis contaminata

Camacinia gigantea

Crocothemis servilia servilia

Diplacodes nebulosa

Diplacodes trivialis

Lathrecista asiatica asiatica

Neurothemis intermedia atalanta

Neurothemis tullia tullia

Orthetrum sabina sabina

Pantala flavescens

Pseudothemis jorina

Rhodothemis rufa

Rhyothemis phyllis phyllis

Rhyothemis variegata variegata

Tholymis tillarga

Urothemis signata signata

159: Matrona nigripectus (Selys, 1879)

Number: 159 / Family: Calopterygidae / Genus: Matrona

Species: Matrona nigripectus / Common name(s): Blue-based Jewelwing*

Habitat: Forested Streams

Province(s) sighted: Chiang Mai

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

Species easily confused with: Neurobasis chinensis chinensis

*As there is no common name, I have used 'Blue-based' from the Thai name and given the genus the name 'Jewelwing'.

A northern species that I have always wanted to see and one that is simply divine, is Matrona nigripectus. My chance came recently to go to Chiang Mai (where it can be found). Though I didn't have that much time to search, I knew where it could be (thanks to Noppadon Makbun). Looking at references and pictures, however, I couldn't spot the difference between that species and N. chinensis, a similar-looking but common species, though no less beautiful. It looks almost identical on small online photos. Noppadon explained that in the field the wings are darker and broader ... then he let me in on a secret. Wait for it to fly. The inside of the wings are black and irredescent blue (N. chinensis is bright green with black tips). I began my search and, amazingly, on a seriously quiet and wet day, I found a male hiding under a wooden footbridge and he allowed me to snap away; even get some shots of him with his wings opening (hopefully this will help anyone else trying to see the difference between the two species). In all honesty, when you see the two species together (they live side-by-side) it is easy to separate them, as M. nigripectus is bigger all-round and the green colouring of the abdomen is much brighter in my opinion. So, even though I only saw this species and didn't even get to spot the female, I am well-chuffed (meaning 'very happy' in Northern English dialect). And who wouldn't be spotting a beautiful creature like this?

The Male

Superficially, it looks a little like Neurobasis chinensis. However, the wings are blackish in colour, rather than metallic green - however, the real telltale is when it opens its wings as the wing bases inside are a wonderful blueish colour.

And here is his hidden beauty... check out that shimmering blue!

If you visit Chiang Mai late in the year (October to December), you MUST visit this species at Doi Suthep - but tell me where the females are!

A Trip to Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

Location: Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

Date: Thursday, 17 October 2013

Areas visited: Several areas up the mountain, including Hauy Kaeo Waterfall and Wang Bua Ban Waterfall, plus smaller streams.

 

Well, I can finally add another page to my blog ... seems like it's been about two years since I last contributed. Anyway, a girlfriend holiday / grabbing a bit of dragonfly hunting started off perfectly and then turned rather sour. (There seems to be a thread running through my trips this season.) A nice trip to Chiang Mai was planned for the October holidays. The break with my girlfriend went swimmingly, taking in lots of culture, cuisine and the odd beer or two - even a pint of Guinness (though one was all I could afford). I even tempted Beau into a short trip to Huay Kaeo waterfall and I managed to get a few decent photos of more common dragonflies while I was there. On the dragonfly front, though, that's when things started to go wrong. It had been blazing sunshine all week and I had noticed dragonflies were buzzing around everywhere at the waterfall and I knew that ascending to the top of Doi Suthep (along with infor from Noppadon) could yield one or two new records for my species list. Everything felt perfect. That was on the Tuesday and I planned to go up the mountain on the Thursday, with Beau going shopping (and not annoying me). On the Wednesday morning I awoke and there was something wrong with my right eye. My eyelid and underneath my eye had become inflamed and was bright red. I didn't think much of it at first but became extremely noticeable by lunchtime. I think people looked at me as though I had been punched. It was only in the afternoon that I realised what had happened. I had burnt that area! How? Well, hanging over the water's edge at Huay Kaeo seemed harmless enough, but attempting to get good photos and not moving for long periods (with one eye looking through the camera the other closed), left a sensitive area of skin exposed and by the end of the following day, it looked like I had stapled a rasher of bacon to the underside of my eye. Unperturbed and with Wednesday daylight drawing to a hasty close, I wandered into a bike shop with my bacon accessory to rent a scooter for the next day. Literally, the second I paid for the damn thing, the heavens opened, though only for a short burst. It's OK, I thought. It's been sunny all week. Just a blip! Everything was sorted for my trip ... and keep in mind I had waited three and a half years to return to Doi Suthep. I was really excited. So much so, I didn't sleep at all. I rolled out of bed at 5.30 a.m. and got ready. Everything was hunky dory (probably as I hadn't looked out of the gloomy little window where we were staying). I almost skipped down the 4 flights of stairs. Only to be greeted by drizzle. No problem, it will let up as the sun warms the day. Hmmm.... I couldn't be more wrong. The drizzle turned into rain. The rain into a heavy thunderstorm. My defence ... a t-shirt and shorts. Brilliant. I still drove almost 20 kms to the top and was beaten there by heavy mist which shrouded the mountain. I was now freezing, wet and in danger of becoming sick. The temperature was extremely low at the top. I still had a look around the stream, but nothing and I mean NOTHING presented itself. I decided that my only option was to work my way down the mountain which was much warmer and drier and would probably increase my chances of seeing something. I saw a few common species and it was almost a washout until - for some reason - I decided to look under a small wooden footbridge. And there, sitting in the gloom, was a male Matrona nigripectus! He was happy to let me shoot away. So a new species after all and one I was desperate to see! As the day warmed with a little sun at times and I managed to see a few more species, though M. nigripectus was the only new addition to my list! I would have gone out again on the Friday, but rain rain rain all the way. Saturday, too. Still, I'm going back there in March so WILL find something then ... unless my bad luck continues!

 

My best photos of the day:

 

Matrona nigripectus, a beautiful northern species, but the female eluded me.

 

 

 

Stunning wings when opened (I will add a nice opening sequence later):

 

More commonly sighted species:

 

 

 Lots of species in the end, but I really want to add to my list!