12 April, Melinh Field Station

April 12 was a beautiful day and I headed to Tam Dao to check raptor migration. Nothing flew, so very disappointing. Apart from a lone Chlorogomphus that is, exciting to know they are around already. But without birds, I decided to try Melinh. In a recent publication, Natalia von Ellenrieder et al. mention some interesting species from this area, but I had never been there. So I tried to go and stumbled onto the place without much difficulty. It has basically one major stream that runs through secondary forest and I followed it for quite a bit. Euphaea guerini was probably the commonest species. It is not all that common really, with Xuan Son providing good numbers, but elsewhere it is rare. Here is was common, followed by Mnais mneme, another nice species. And yet another reminder of Xuan Son was Prodasineura croconota, which I know also from Huu Lien. The commonest dragon was Orthetrum sabina, and for once I took some pictures of it. Other interesting species were Protosticta "grandis", a single female, Orolestes selysi, and Mortonagrion aborense, although that species by now is known to occur widely. The only gomphid was Ictinigomphus pertinax. Here are a few photos.

Brachydiplax chalybea flavovittata, a single male on a grassy pond

Handsome Prodasineura croconota, now also known to be widespread

Not a good picture, but it will do, I guess. Mnais mneme, orange-winged male

And because it was too common to ignore: male Orthetrum sabina