A New Record for Peninsular Malaysia

Further to my post last November on specimens that were handed to Ian Choong, it has been confirmed last month by Ian that one of the specimens is that of a damselfly that is a new record for Peninsular Malaysia - the Paracercion calamorum dyeri (Fraser, 1919).

A big thanks to Ian and Robin for this.

Unfortunately, I do not have a good photo of the damselfly or of the specimen and can't post a photo here.  However, to get an idea of what it looks like, it is very similar to the tiny Aciagrion species of damselflies and it would actually be quite difficult to tell the difference between the two species with just the naked eye.  Check out this website to see what this damselfy looks like:  http://www.asia-dragonfly.net/globalResults.php?Species=5150&offset=0

Anyway, it certainly confirms my confusion about some of the species sometimes and the question that I've been asking whenever I have difficulties identifying a particular species due to certain minor features that differ even slightly when compared to what it should be based on details in the 'Pocket Guide for Dragonflies of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore' by A.G. Orr.

And the question that is always on my mind is this:  could some of the species found in Langkawi be similar to those recorded for Thailand but have not been found in other parts of Peninsular Malaysia except here?  Perhaps migrants from Thailand?

A good maybe?

Perhaps the same can be said of some damselfly species that I have often come across but have not been able to actually really confirm correctly for this same reason?  Probably the specimen of the Idionyx species that had slightly different appendages compared to those shown in Pocket Guide is another case in point?  Simply because it is not in the Pocket Guide and would actually be new records for Peninsular Malaysia?

Another maybe?

And because of the close proximity to Thailand, maybe there are more 'siblings' and 'cousins' living here in Langkawi that we are not aware of?


I'd like to think so.....

Hopefully all these questions will be answered in due course.