Trithemis pallidinervis

A few years back I visited the Mekong Delta and noticed some striking dragonflies sitting on the tips of stalks with wings raised. This turned out to be Trithemis pallidinervis. It took a while, but when visiting Van Long Nature Reserve I finally saw it again. In fact it is quite common there, both when visiting in early September and in early October. Of course that only means it is present in that period, not that it is absent in other periods. Time will tell. It can quite easily be recognized, with its whitish face, boldly striped thorax, black and white abdomen and the basal spots to the wings, on top of which its behaviour of sitting at the tips of aquatic emergents with wings raised is also a giveaway.

Trithemis pallidinervis, male, at the tip of vegetation with wings raised

And Trithemis pallidinervis, female, likewise