A Rare Find!

The morning had started nice and bright and it stayed that way practically the whole day.  It was perhaps a bit too bright and glaring for photos but it did not stop me from my jaunt in the outdoors.

And I am glad I went on my dragonfly hunting spree as I had found another species to add to my checklist.  That makes a total of three new additions for this week!

I had set out late in the morning and had gone for a walk along a stream.  Initially it had seemed as if it would be futile as there weren't anything buzzing around at all except a few butterflies.  Perhaps it was too hot today?

I scoured the banks and finally spotted a Trithemis festiva.  One dragonfly.  At least there was one!  Nothing else after that.  So I turned around and went upstream.  No dragonflies.  I crossed the stream and kept walking.  Then I spotted one Ceriagrion cerinorubellum.  Okay, now I've got one dragonfly and one damselfly.  But what else?  Soon after that, a few more species came into view.  The Neurothemis fulvia, Trithemis aurora, Heliocypha biforata and another darkish dragonfly on a stick some distance away.  Perhaps another T. festiva?  But it had looked different when it took off for a short flight and landed to perch again on the same stick.

Here's what I've got!

This dragonfly is the Onychothemis testacea of the family Libellulidae.  The male has hindwing length of 39 mm.  According to the Pocket Guide, this species can be found in clear forest streams and is rare in Peninsular Malaysia but widespread in tropical Asia.

If you look closely, you will find that it has long legs with sparse, robust spines on them and there are yellow bands on its deep metallic green thorax.  Its abdomen is also strongly banded.

Even if I do not find any other dragonflies today, this would have made my day!  But I would have to go back to this stream again some other day and get better photos of this dragonfly!

What a gem!