Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Odonata Checklist for Sg Durian, Lintang, Perak - IV

I visited Sg Durian, Lintang, Perak for the forth time yesterday to survey the odonate diversity. I managed to add five more species to the previous checklist. The added five species are Orthetrum glaucum, Orthetrum sabina, Brachydiplax farinosa, Potamarcha congener and Neurothemis fulvia. Now the total number of odonate species recorded from Sg Durian is 41.


Odonata Checklist for Sg Durian, Lintang, Perak

Family Calopterygidae
Neurobasis chinensis
Vestalis amethystina
Vestalis amoena


Family Chlorocyphidae
Heliocypha perforata
Heliocypha biforata
Libellago lineata


Family Euphaeidae
Dysphaea dimidiata
Euphaea impar
Euphaea ochracea


Family Megapodagrionidae
Rhinagrion mima

Family Coenagrionidae
Agriocnemis femina
Argiocnemis rubescens
Onychargia atrocyana
Mortonagrion aborense
Pseudagrion pruinosum


Family Platycnemididae
Copera ciliata
Copera marginipes


Family Protoneuridae
Prodasineura humeralis
Prodasineura collaris


Family Gomphidae
Burmagomphus williamsoni
Ictinogomphus decoratus
Paragomphus capricornis


Family Libellulidae
Aethriamanta gracilis
Brachydiplax chalybea
Brachydiplax farinosa
Cratilla lineata
Cratilla metallica
Neurothemis fluctuans
Neurothemis fulvia
Onychothemis culminicola
Orthetrum chrysis
Orthetrum glaucum
Orthetrum luzonicum
Orthetrum sabina
Orthetrum testaceum
Potamarcha congener
Tetrathemis irregularis
Tetrathemis platyptera
Trithemis aurora
Trithemis festiva
Zygonyx iris


Friday, December 9, 2011

Drepanosticta sharpi

Drepanosticta quadrata, D. fontinalis and D. sharpi look alike to each other, and only close inspection on anal appendages could tell them apart. Below photo shows a male of D. sharpi.






Friday, November 18, 2011

Lestes dorothea

Lestes dorothea is definitely a rare damselfly species in Peninsular Malaysia.







Thursday, November 17, 2011

Coeliccia didyma

Coeliccia didyma resembles C. albicauda on the thoracic dorsal marking. However, it is distinguished from C. albicauda by havinng blue tail and has larger size. In Peninsular Malaysia, the distribution of C. didyma is more to the northern part.




a male of Coeliccia didyma


Ceriagrion fallax

Ceriagrion fallax is a highland damselfly species. Sporadically, they are found in lowland.










Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Vestalis luctuosa

I went to Java for Odonata last week. For me, Vestalis is always a metallic green body beautiful odonate. But, my witness of Vestalis luctousa in Java has changed my mind - Vestalis species are not just beautiful but they are highly elegant!


a male Vestalis luctuosa


a female Vestalis luctuosa


Sunday, September 18, 2011

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Waterfalls

I visited to a few waterfalls in Terengganu last month. These waterfalls are just beautiful.


Sekayu Waterfall


Lasir Waterfall


Bukit Kesing Waterfall




Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Libellago aurantiaca

From far, Libellago aurantiaca looks alike Sundacypha petiolata. However, a close look reveals that the thoracic yellow marking and dark patch on hindwings are different between these two species.





Saturday, July 30, 2011

Exploration of Chamah Highlands

I had the opportunity to join the Exploration of Chamah Highlands organised by Jabatan Perhutanan Kelantan (Kelantan Forestry Department) and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. The exploration was held on July 24-29, 2011. We all camped at a site with an evelation of 720 m from sea level. I really enjoyed the cool weather at this altitude. I was at Chamah Highlands for Odonata survey.

a banner showing a welcome message to participants of Chamah Highlands Exploration


an un-named waterfall near the camp site


one of the peaks of the Chamah Higlands



One of the things that attracted my attention is a plane wreckage at the Chamah Highlands at an evelation of 820 m from sea level. The plane named Royal Dakota was on its way to this remote forest to delivery supplies to the Orang Asli living in this area in 1950. The Royal Dakota carried 12 persons including the pilot - 11 Britons and one Malay. Unfortunately, it clashed due to its engine failure. The Orang Asli burried eight bodies near to the plane wreckage, and the other four persons were still missing. The plane wreckage was only rediscovered in 2008 by army.... the plane wreckage and the burial ground had been sleeping for almost 60 years deep in the forest before being rediscovered by people from outside.

the plane wreckage in the Chamah Highlands


Thursday, July 21, 2011

A Short Report

I was in Lao PDR early of this year to attend the IUCN assessment workshop on freshwater biodiversity of Indo-Burma region. I wrote a short report of the workshop for Agrion. You may read the report here.


Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Odonata Checklist for Sg Durian, Lintang, Perak - III

I visited Sg Durian, Lintang, Perak for the third time a few days ago to survey the odonate diversity. I managed to add six more species to the previous checklist. The added six species are Vestalis amethystina, Cratilla lineata, Cratilla metallica, Tetrathemis irregularis, Tetrathemis platyptera and Burmagomphus williamsoni. Now the total number of odonate species recorded from Sg Durian is 36.


Odonata Checklist for Sg Durian, Lintang, Perak

Family Calopterygidae
Neurobasis chinensis
Vestalis amethystina
Vestalis amoena


Family Chlorocyphidae
Heliocypha perforata
Heliocypha biforata
Libellago lineata


Family Euphaeidae
Dysphaea dimidiata
Euphaea impar
Euphaea ochracea


Family Megapodagrionidae
Rhinagrion mima

Family Coenagrionidae
Agriocnemis femina
Argiocnemis rubescens
Onychargia atrocyana
Mortonagrion aborense
Pseudagrion pruinosum


Family Platycnemididae
Copera ciliata
Copera marginipes


Family Protoneuridae
Prodasineura humeralis
Prodasineura collaris


Family Gomphidae
Burmagomphus williamsoni
Ictinogomphus decoratus
Paragomphus capricornis


Family Libellulidae
Aethriamanta gracilis
Brachydiplax chalybea
Cratilla lineata
Cratilla metallica
Neurothemis fluctuans
Onychothemis culminicola
Orthetrum chrysis
Orthetrum luzonicum
Orthetrum testaceum
Tetrathemis irregularis
Tetrathemis platyptera
Trithemis aurora
Trithemis festiva
Zygonyx iris



Below are some of the Odonata photos taken at Sg Durian.

Onychothemis culminicola


Mortonagrion aborense (immatured female)


Heliocypha perforata


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Pantala flavescens

Pantala flavescens might be considered the most wide spread Odonata species in the world.

Famel Pantala flavescens


Sunday, June 5, 2011

Vestalis amoena - Ovipositing

The below photo shows an ovipositing Vestalis amoena.




Drepanosticta quadrata - Female

Drepanosticta quadrata is truely a forest species, and it is widespread in Peninsular Malaysia. I have bumped into the male of D. quadrata on many occassions, but spotting a female of D. quadrata is truely not an easy task. Finally, I spotted females of D. quadrata, and now I know why it is so hard to spot female of D. quadrata....


a female of Drepanosticta quadrata


a female of Drepanosticta quadrata



Sunday, May 29, 2011

Orthetrum testaceum on Wings

This male Orthetrum testaceum is courting an ovipositing female....



Ovipositing - Anax panybeus

I witnessed a female of Anax panybeus ovipositing in an open pond.....




Monday, May 23, 2011

Female - Trithemis aurora vs Trithemis festiva

I was asked some time ago by a visitor to my blog how to tell apart the females of Trithemis aurora from Trithemis festiva. The colouration of males for these two species is so distinct that you still could distinguish them easily without wearing glasses (if your vision is impaired)... hehe. You may click here to view the male T. aurora and here to view the male T. festiva. The marking on the abdomen-thorax of female T. aurora is different from that of the female T. festiva.


female of Trithemis aurora


female of Trithemis festiva


Sunday, May 22, 2011

Female of Podolestes orientalis

Finally, I have got a decent photo of female Podolestes orientalis.... You may view the male Podolestes orientalis here.




Saturday, May 14, 2011

Orthetrum chrysis in wheel

I saw so many wheel pairs of Orthetrum chrysis in Bangi Forest Reserve today....




Onychothemis testacea

Onychothemis testacea is definitely rare in Peninsular Malaysia. I have so far spotted O. testacea at two locations in Peninsular Malaysia - one at Sg Bebar, Pahang and the other one at Bangi Forest Reserve, Selangor. I photographed a male before (click here to view) some time ago. Now, I finally have a a photo of female O. testacea. The female resembles the male in colouration.

a male of Onychothemis testacea

a female of Onychothemis testacea


Monday, May 9, 2011

Seremban Lake Garden

I arrived at Klana Resort Hotel, Seremban this late afternoon to attend a seminar. I saw a small lake (Seremban Lake Garden; shown in the photos below) not too far from the hotel. After checking in the hotel, I went to the lake to do Odonata observation for two hours (5-7 pm). The weather was good, and I went around the lake looking for Odonata. I spotted ten species of Odonata. Brachythemis contaminata and Pseudagrion microcephalum were present in abundant at the lake in late afternoon.




PS:
I visited again Seremban Lake Garden in the morning two day later. I stayed there for roughly two hours (10am - 12pm). I spotted another 11 species. These additional species have been added to the checklist. Now, the checklist contains 21 species altogether.

Odonata species recorded at Seremban Lake Garden:

Agriocnemis femina (Brauer, 1868)
Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842)
Ceriagrion chaoi Schmidt, 1964
Pseudagrion microcephalum (Rambur, 1842)
Pseudagroin rubriceps Selys, 1876
Ictinogomphus decoratus melaenops (Selys, 1858)
Acisoma panorpoides Rambur, 1842
Aethriamanta brevipennis (Rambur, 1842)
Aethriamanta gracilis (Brauer, 1878)
Brachydiplax chalybea Brauer, 1868
Brachydiplax farinosa Krüger, 1902
Brachythemis contaminata (Fabricius, 1793)
Crocothemis servilia (Drury, 1770)
Neurothemis fluctuans (Fabricius, 1793)
Orthetrum chrysis (Selys, 1891)
Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1770)
Pseudothemis jorina Förster, 1904
Rhyothemis phyllis (Sulzer, 1776)
Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798)
Trithemis aurora (Burmeister, 1839)
Urothemis signata insignata (Selys, 1872)



Sunday, April 24, 2011

Bangi Forest Reserve

Bangi Forest Reserve has a small unnamed river. It is a very nice river for many common Odonata species.




Cratilla metallica

The female Cratilla metallica looks alike the male C. metallica. Below are two photos of female C. metallica. You may view the photos of male C. metallica here.




Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Kota Damansara Forest Reserve

I was on a scientific expedition at Kota Damansara Forest Reserve (KDFR), Selangor the last couple of days. KDFR is an island logged-over forest sitting in the middle of Kota Damansara township. This 600-ha forest reserve is surrounded by highway and residential areas. Nevertheless, KDFR contains some lakes and small streams which support some Odonata species. Our group (Odonata group) managed to record 48 Odonata species in KDFR.


one of the few lakes within KDFR

one of the few small streams within KDFR


Sunday, April 3, 2011

Trithemis festiva on Wings

I spotted this female Trithemis festiva ovipositing, and I managed to get some decent shots.



Saturday, February 19, 2011

Acisoma panorpoides

This photo shows the courting behaviour of Acisoma panorpoides. Male is in blue colour while the female is in yellow.



Monday, January 24, 2011

IUCN Workshop in Laos

I'm back from the IUCN workshop in Vientian, Laos. What a fruitful visit indeed. I met so many regional odonatologists in the workshop. The workshop evaluated freshwater biodiversity of Indo-Myammar, and the evaluation was mainly on aquatic plants, mollucs, fish and dragonflies. The workshop attended by roughly 30 participants of different biodiversity groups, and we had a group photo on the last day of the workshop (photo below).


We were posing on the river bank of Mekong River for the group photo. It is still the dried season in Laos, and the Mekong River is almost dried out.


I was intoxicated every evening in Vientian by this stuff. Of course, I did it with some of the odonatologists!!!! hehehehehehe



Saturday, January 15, 2011

I'm off to Laos

I'm off to Laos tomorrow to attend an IUCN workshop in Vientaine. I hope I could get some time off from the workshop to photograph some odonates of Laos.............



Thursday, January 6, 2011

Trithemis festiva (female)

This is my first posting for year 2011. I'm showing you a photo of Trithemis festiva female. The photo of T. festiva male could be viewed here.