Ramburi red parasol

Thanks venus

Ashish, in the two photos you have just referred there is a big difference between the position of the pterostigma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterostigma) yet they are supposedly both for the same species. Please see my detailed comment above. I have ID'ed this on the basis of the position of the pterostigma, as per correspondence with an expert on Papua dragonflies. I am reconfirming that this character also apples to females.

I have seen pure yellow/gold females, so this is either a female or an immature male...

OK, my reticence in hastily ID'ing this has paid off. I'm calling it a Ramburi red parasol, Neurothemis ramburii.

Thanks everyone. I raised the possibility of it being a painted grasshawk (Neurothemis stigmatizans) in my first comment above. In fact I have 3 spottings already identified as such, one of which was ID'ed by a Papua dragonfly expert. Because I am conservative, at least in species IDs ;-) I have a number of other red dragonfly spottings that I have not named yet, as this species (but maybe they are). Notwithstanding the pbase image Ashish, the current spotting (and my red dragonflies not yet named) has a sight difference from the one that has been identified as N. stigmatizans: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/6937788 . I am hesitant to call the specimen above a painted grasshawk even though it looks like it because the pterostigma (mark at edge of wing) on this spotting is separated from the red part of the wings. Compare to the link just provided where it actually is partly within the red part. I am not enough of a dragonfly expert to know if this is important (diagnostic) or not. Can anyone tell me if this difference matters? I hope it does not and that this and the others are N. stigmatizans! In the meantime I will bother the expert again. (It's been a while ;-)

Hi Cherrey. I have a spotting of your suggested species here http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/6932606 . If you notice, the transparent part of the wings is much wider on that specimen. That's why I think this specimen is a different species. I do not know if it is an immature Neurothemis stigmatizans, which is another red species here.