Field module

Monsoon Jungles of Khao Yai

Primary monsoon forest, nocturnal light trapping, and diverse tropical insect orders.

Thailand pairs the region’s most developed ecotourism infrastructure with accessible primary jungle and a wide diversity of tropical insect orders.

Target fauna: Euphaea (glistening torrent damselflies), spectacular jewel beetles (Buprestidae), giant stick insects, and Atlas moths.

Day 1 — Arrival & Jungle Canopy Briefing

Transfer from Bangkok (BKK) to an upscale eco-resort outside the park. Afternoon walk along the park boundary forest; evening lecture on Khao Yai’s seasonal monsoon transformations and insect migration corridors.

Day 2 — Haew Narok Waterfalls & Torrent Odonata

Trek down to the Haew Narok gorge — torrent-loving dragonflies and damselflies in the spray zones. Evening non-destructive UV light-trap sheet for nocturnal scarabs, longhorn beetles, and giant moths.

Day 3 — Primary Forest Loop & Macro Photography

Guided trek through primary evergreen forest loops — cryptic insects, leaf-mimic katydids, and jewel beetles, with an afternoon macro-photography seminar at the lodge.

Day 4 — Dawn Flight Windows & Handover

Early-morning watch along open grassland edges for butterfly and dragonfly warming behaviour, then handover back to Bangkok or onward north.