It rained hard and heavy this afternoon.
Although the sun came back out again soon after that, it is obvious the rain had brought some cheer!
It was an evening for frogs... the Common Green Frog!
If I had been on a quest looking for Prince Charming, I'd certainly be in big trouble...
A bunch of rude kids! Simply rude! And inexcusably so!
I was at the Book Village, several metres away from the walkpath, out of the way of everything and quietly taking photos of dragonflies and other insects. These kids were making their way out of the park when they saw me and decided to walk away from the walkpath to go out of their way to trample across the garden right in front of me, stared at me brazenly to show there's no fear, then walk away nonchalantly, laughing gleefully, happy with themselves and their deeds!
Child's play? I certainly do not think you can call it that.
Makes you wonder if their parents ever taught them any manners?
No wonder signboards like these are put up at parks, though it's not exactly directed at those kids, but I guess some people will do whatever they want to regardless...
Doesn't it make you wonder?
I sat on the grassy edge of the pond to watch the dragonflies buzzing around and I watched the territorial displays of several male dragonflies as they chase away other rival males that had crossed the invisible boundaries that I could not see.
It was mostly just the common species of dragonflies that I see everywhere all the time. Still... it calms my mind and soothes my spirit to just sit there and watch all their antics. The spirit of the dragonfly gives me a sense of harmony and strength.
So... it was a while before I noticed a shadow and spotted a damselfly perched vertically on a plant stem under the shade of a large leaf.
A spreadwing damselfly!
Once I got close enough for a good look, I realised I had chanced upon another species to add to the checklist! What a nice surprise!
This damselfy is the Lestes praemorsus of the family Lestidae. The male has hindwing length of 21mm. Both the eyes and thorax is of a powder blue colour with some dark markings on its body and the bent tip of its abdomen gives it a hockey-stick appearance. No, it is not a deformity as I had initially thought.
It perched there undeterred as I inched closer.
Soon after that, it started flexing its abdomen like a gymnast performing on the high bar.
It's graceful movements were quite mesmerizing!
I've got a big grin on my face!
I have been away from Langkawi and though it was only for two weeks and I was just across the channel, it had felt as if I was in another world entirely and it had seemed like ages!
Luckily for me, I was based in an area located next to the forest fringe, there were lotus ponds, marshy areas overgrown with cattails and also padi fields nearby.
It was dragonfly haven!
Although I did not get to spend all day everyday observing these creatures, I did spend a bit of time watching them whenever I had the chance to do so and I did get a few photos of some common species and also of species that I have yet to encounter in Langkawi. Other insects and plant life included!
Tridax daisies aplenty!
Rhyothemis plutonia (Selys, 1883)
Lathrecista asiatica (Fabricius, 1798)
Rhyothemis phyllis (Sulzer, 1776). There were swarms of them!
Aethriamanta spp. Need id for this dragonfly...
Aethriamanta spp, a pair in wheel.
Aethriamanta brevipennis (Rambur, 1842)
Aethriamanta brevipennis (Rambur, 1842), a female.
Acisoma panorpoides (Rambur, 1842)
Brachydiplax chalybea (Brauer, 1868)
Urothemis signata insignata (Selys, 1872)
Another dragonfly... need id for this fella...
Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798). Found this dead dragonfly on the ground.
Anax guttatus (Burmeister, 1839). Found this dragonfly with half its abdomen torn off but it was still alive and struggling.
Agriocnemis pygmaea (Rambur, 1842)
Ceriagrion chaoi (Schmidt, 1964)
Ceriagrion chaoi (Schmidt, 1964), a female.
Ceriagrion chaoi (Schmidt, 1964). A pair in tandem with the female ovipositing into the pond plants.
A Stingless Bee out to collect nectar from the Sacred Lotus after the rain.
A colourful butterfly.
A mating pair of Wasp Moth.
A Wolf Spider on the Water Lettuce.
Cattails in the evening sky.
Other Odonata species spotted were:
Crocothemis servilia, Rhodothemis rufa, Orthetrum glaucum, Orthetrum chrysis, Orthetrum sabina, Orthetrum testaceum, Diplacodes trivialis and the Ischnura senegalensis.
Also, a blue damselfly.....
I had stumbled upon this tiny damselfly quite unexpectedly while exploring along a forest stream early in the year. The truth is that I would have missed it if I hadn't caught that tiny flicker of movement among the leaf litter on the ground.
This is the Copera vittata of the family Platycnemididae. The male has hindwing length of 16mm and it is a very slender and dainty damselfly. The above photo shows a female damselfly of this species. It really is tiny and its size and colour makes it blend very well into its surroundings making it almost invisible, like a ghost damselfly!
As I walked further along on the trail, I came across another damselfly of the same species but this time it was an immature damselfly and this was a short distance away from the stream.
As you can see, this immature damselfly has a pale ivory colouring, known as 'ghost' form, according to the Pocket Guide. Again, it was actually quite inconspicuous among the twigs and leaf litter. I had barely managed to get two shots and it disappeared from view.
So I went back to the trail again several days later to look this immature damselfly.
In just three days, it had developed some maturity, lost the pale ivory colouring and its legs are now a deeper yellow. According to the Pocket Guide, the adult males would have legs of orange red colour.
Again, just two good shots before it flittered its wings and, like an apparition, disappeared into the forest!
I have taken quite a few shots of this dragonfly whenever I do see them around and I had first spotted them back in July last year. On hot days, these dragonflies are often seen standing in the obelisk position as well.
These are the Brachythemis contaminata of the family Libellulidae. They are quite small dragonflies with the male having hindwing length of only 22.5mm but they are easily recognised by their tinted wings of deep amber-orange hue. The adult males have a deep orange coloured abdomen and can be easily spotted while the females and immature males are paler, tending more towards a brownish hue, their wings are still tinted, but less intense in colouration compared to the adult males.
The Brachythemis contaminata is a common species often found everywhere around ponds and they are even tolerant of polluted waters.
I was on my way out for dinner when I saw this huge fiery orange ball just over the horizon and drove as fast as I could to get to the lookout point. Yet, it had started dipping behind the breakwall by then. It continued to dip rather swiftly and was soon gone.
The same sun that I had watched rising just that morning...
And another night is set upon us.
I simply love the early hours of the morning.
And I just do not tire looking at the dawn skies.
The way the colours swirl and mix around on the palette of the sky is always different each dawn and always will be.
And just before the sun peeks out from the horizon, the colours become even more intense, giving you a glimpse of what to expect for the day to come.
In the cool of the early morning, these fishermen go out to sea to start on the day's catch.
And then, the sunrise!
The beginning of another hot day...
...as the sun rose higher in sky!
Life on the island begins to wake up.....
A bee has started collecting nectar.
While the Acisoma panorpoides is finding it difficult to get started.
A male Crocothemis servilia basking in the morning sun.
And another Crocothemis servilia getting warmed up to start the day.
Although still rather early, this pair of Ischnura senegalensis is already in wheel.
And life goes on.....
