Friday 31 October 2014

Jewels of forest streams!

Xuan Son National Park is a great place for Calopterygids. October 26 was as good as expected, with many Matrona basilaris, Matrona taoi and Atrocaloperyx coomani. I decided to take pictures of the females. These are all similar in that they have large whitish pterostigmata, but when you know them they are not difficult to identify. Matrona taoi is decidedly reddish brown, which is especially conspicuous in flight. Matrona basilaris is brownish, but if it opens its wings these are dark brown with milky bases, in a pattern similar to the male. Atrocalopteryx coomani has hyaline wing bases.

Female Matrona taoi, with its typical reddish brown wings

Matrona basilaris female with brown wings

And female Atrocalopteryx coomani, showing translucent wings

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.