Black Faced Percher: Diplacodes melanopsis

Location: seasonal swamp, still water,

Bunbury, Western Australia

Season: Spring/Summer

Class: Insecta 

Order: Odonata 

Family: Libellulidae 

Genus: Diplacodes

Diplacodes melanopsis

Black Faced Percher is a medium sized dragonfly measuring about 5 cms in length. It has a bright scarlet red body. The eyes, head and the thorax are dark red to black, hence the name Black Faced Percher. The abdomen has black markings on each segment on the bright red background. It can be (easily) distinguished from the other red coloured dragonflies, the Scarlet Percher and Wandering Percher by the markings on the abdomen. While the Black Faced Percher has dark (heart shaped) markings on each abdominal segments, the Wandering Percher has smaller less prominent markings and the Scarlet Percher has no markings at all. The Black Faced Percher, of course, has a black head and thorax which are red in the other two.

This Black Faced Percher's perching pattern is parallel to the long grass but perpendicular to ground. The Scarlet Perchers perch mostly parallel to the ground. One other difference is the wings of the Scarlet Percher has red patch at the base of the hind wings. The Black Faced Percher has clear wings with black pterostigma and a small area of red patch very close to the border of both hind and the fore wings.

Reference: Brisbane Insects

Sacrlet Percher: Diplacodes haematodes

Class: Insecta 

Order: Odonata 

Family: Libellulidae 

Genus: Diplacodes

Diplacodes haematodes

Scarlet Percher is a completely red coloured dragonfly with bright red eyes, head, thorax and abdomen. The abdomen lacks markings which distinguishes it from other red dragonflies, the Black Faced Percher and the Wandering percher. The wings are clear with red patch at the base of hind wings, red costa and red pterostigma. The above is a picture of a male. The females are paler red to yellow in colour. The female has black marking on the abdomen. There is a yellowish brown coloration to the wing tips of the female.

The Scarlet Perchers tend to perch parallel to the ground around water bodies, appearing to sun themselves. They often compete with each other and with much larger Blue Skimmers for perching spots.

Wandering Percher Dragonfly: Diplacodes bipunctata

Wandering Percher
Diplacodes bipunctata
Female, paler than red male
Note the two black markings on the sides of the thorax
Pale rectangle on the thorax at the mid dorsal line base of both pair of wings
Black markings on each abdominal segment

Wandering Percher
Diplacodes bipunctata

Wandering Percher
Diplacodes bipunctata

Location: South Western Australia

Season: Summer, December

Order: Odonata 

Suborder: Epiprocta 

Infraorder: Anisoptera 

Family: Libellulidae

Genus: Diplacodes

Diplacodes Bipunctata

Our garden had a lot of these teneral dragonflies flashing their new delicate wings in the sunlight this summer. Wandering Percher is a small dragonfly, 3 - 4 cms in length. The hallmark of the species is the two black dots on the sides of the thorax, hence the name D. bipunctata. The eyes, thorax, abdomen are orangish red in colour. There are black markings on each abdominal segment distinguishing it from Scarlet Percher which has no black markings. The female is paler, more yellow than red. The female has a rectangular pale spot on thorax, in the mid dorsal line, extending to the pterothorax, base of both pairs of wings. Young males are yellow and turn red as they mature. Yellow colour helps the young to blend in the bush for protection.

24/11/2015 ETA: mating Wandering Perchers, the female is laying eggs into the water.

Reference: Ecology Solutions, Brisbane Insects

Chalky Percher Dragonfly: Diplacodes trivialis

Chalky Percher, Female
Diplacodes trivialis

Chalky Percher, Female
Diplacodes trivialis

Location: KRS Mysore, India

Season: Early Winter, November

Order: Odonata 

Suborder: Epiprocta 

Infraorder: Anisoptera 

Family: Libellulidae 

Genus: Diplacodes

Diplacodes trivialis

This dragonfly was spotted perching on the wall in the vicinity of the famous KRS dam in Mysore. These photos are examples of how the humble iPhone can elicit anatomical details with good lighting and a still subject. The best camera is the one you have at hand!

This is a female Chalky Percher Dragonfly. It is a medium sized dragonfly, about 5 to 6 cms in length. Being a female, it is bright yellow in colour with blackish brown markings on the thorax and the abdomen. The wings are clear with yellowish colouring on the wing base of hind wings. The pterostigma is yellow. Male Chalky Perchers, as the name suggests are chalky blue in colour. The young males are yellow but develop a blue colour due to Pruinescence as they mature. I couldn't spot a male anywhere in the surroundings.

 Chalky Perchers supposedly don't fly over one meter and perch on the ground. But this female chalky percher was on the second floor of the hotel where we were staying. It was early morning on a cold day and she was perching to warm herself up. She barely moved. I only noticed in the photograph that she has lost one of her limbs but she was strongly perching with 5 others.