Drepanosticta anascephala

Scientific name: Drepanosticta anascephala Fraser, 1933

Family: Platystictidae

Thai name: แมลงปอเข็มร่มไม้ดอยสุเทพ

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In 1984, Dr. Asahina collected a new platystictid species in Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai and named it Drepanosticta doisuthepensis. Eleven years later, Dr. Donnelly found that it's a junior synonym of D. anascephala originally described from Laos. Anyways, I glad to see this species around in mountains of Chiang Mai. It is abundant in this season. It perches on a low twig or branch for a long time and you only spot it by blue patch on the abdomen only.

male

Male is shining black with ivory stripes. Prothorax is white with dark unique marking. Abdomen is black with blue patch on S9-10. The blue abdominal marking is vary. Underside of S8 is yellow.  Caudal appendages are complex. Female is similar to the male. No blue marking on terminal abdominal segments.

female

You can see this damselfly in Chiang Mai, Tak and Trang between May-July.