That Elusive Little Blue Damselfly

I've only recently realised that I've lost the photos in my older blog posts that were transferred from the Multiply blog site.  Not anyone's fault but my own as I probably omitted a step or two when transferring all the posts over.  That was quite a daunting task for me with thousands of things to transfer over and especially when I don't exactly have a high level of IT competency! 

Earlier in the year, I did notice that when I clicked on a photo in an older post, it would link back to the related Multiply blog page but it did not occur to me then to rectify it and that it would be a problem when the Multiply site is shut down.  Now that it's been shut down, these photos have disappeared from the blogs on this site and have gone to cyberspace!

Anyway, I've taken on the painstakingly slow process of updating these older blogs with the photos that should be there and in the process, have come across a few photos that I'd forgotten about.  One that is of importance to note is the photo of the Paracercion calamorum dyeri (Fraser, 1919), from the family Coenagrionidae.

This is the damselfly species that's a new record for Peninsular Malaysia.  You can refer to the earlier post here:  http://not-just-odonata.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-new-record-for-peninsular-malaysia.html

So here are the photos:

I wasn't the one who took these photos though, so the photo credits go to Robin and Wei Ling, as I was with them when we caught this species and they'd snapped these shots.

It is quite an attractive little blue damselfly, isn't it?

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.
 

A Little Trail Revisited

It has certainly been quite a while since I last went walking on a trail, spend a few hours feasting my eyes on dragonflies, butterflies, insects, etc., and getting myself immersed in nature!  

Today, the opportunity for that came about.

Just the usual common species encountered but it was great to have a little rendezvous with some of my favourite subjects out there.   So, here's a little bit of everything to keep the balance!

Heliocypha biforata

 

Trithemis festiva

Vestalis sp.

Another Vestalis sp.

Robber Fly

   

A close up of the Robber fly

Pantala flavescens

Orthetrum sabina

Tholymis tillarga

 A dragonfly exuvia

A fresh Cicada exoskeleton.  

There were lots of these everywhere!

Sun Skink

The black Hospitalitermes Termites!

 

The Fluffy Tit 

And could this be the The Knight (Lebadea Martha)? 

One of the species of grasshoppers, but which is this?

Water Skater

Specimens

Finally met up with one of the top odonatologists of Malaysia, the dragonflyman, Ian Choong, himself.  

It was a short meeting but getting to meet an odonatologist and talk about dragonfly species and behaviour and our quest for dragonflies is something I don't get to do everyday.  And I have been looking forward to meeting Ian for quite a long time, so I really enjoyed the hour chatting with him.

Also, I was on a mission.

Last year, I'd met up with Robin Ngiam, the odonatologist from Singapore, and Wei Ling, and we went exploring.  There were several species that are not found in Singapore but can be found here and Robin had a list of species which he'd like to look at.  So we had great day out dragonfly hunting.  Anyway, during their short holiday here, two specimens were collected.  And since then, these specimens have sat in a container in my freezer.  

Yes, like a dragonfly morgue of some sort.

Finally, these specimens have been handed to Ian so that he can take a really good look at them and determine its correct species.

I had a great sigh of relief when Ian checked both specimens and they were still in good condition. 

Whew!

Perhaps we'll have another species to add to the checklist for Langkawi..... or maybe even two?

An Early Riser

I have spent countless number of hours sitting by the pond during the mid to late morning and on several afternoons just watching these damselflies.  Nothing ever happens.  All they do is stay very still on their perch and some of them don't even budge until you get really, really close.  And only then would they flitter away to perch somewhere else and that's it.  

Nothing else happens!

So I'd started thinking perhaps these damselflies preferred their solitude?

It's great in a way because you can get in plenty of photos and these damselflies have such amazing bright colours and are really pretty to look at!  But, isn't the natural instinct always for the survival of the species?   Why aren't these damselflies doing anything?  What is their cycle or pattern of behaviour?

And then, one morning, I finally got to the pond early enough, as the sun was coming up behind the hills, and there they were.  There were a few pairs of these Ceriagrion cerinorubellum damselflies in wheel and in tandem.  

Beautiful!

Finally!

Morning Rendezvous

Spent a few hours this morning being mesmerized by dragonflies and damselflies at a pond.  The whole scenery was alive with the buzzing of various dragonflies and damselflies such that I was totally enraptured!

As I watched, my heart went out to this Platylestes heterostylus as a Pseudagrion australasiae kept attacking it as it perched on a stem, chasing it away.  It took a while, and several perches later, before it found peace of mind and eventually began its morning stretching routine by flexing and swinging its abdomen in an aerobic workout.

This Pseudagrion australasiae is really quite a bully...

One of the Lestes praemorsus at the pond.  There were quite a number of them, all perched quite inconspicuously, minding their own business, each in its own world of daydreams.

I wonder what happened to that wing of this Neurothemis fulvia?  Looks as if it's been scorched.  Doesn't it make you wonder?

The Aethriamanta gracilis was rather flighty but finally managed to take a few photos.  Spotted several of them this morning.

Also spotted about five of these tiny yellow damselflies of the species Ceriagrion calamineum.

A contrast to the yellow damselfly above is this dashing red dragonfly, the Urothemis signata.

A number of these hovered near my feet.  These really tiny Agriocnemis femina could easily dart away and disappear from sight in a fraction of a second.

These damselflies sharing a twig.

And another favourite hangout on a twig with more than just one damselfly.

And then, there was also this bee that had me distracted for a bit.....

What a great morning indeed!

The Third Copera Brother

I still remember when I first came across the Copera vittata early last year and was quite fascinated by the phantom feel of the immature damselfly as it moved around almost invisibly among the forest undergrowth while the adult Copera vittata had such brightly coloured orange-red legs that made me gape.  A few weeks after that, I had another 'wow' moment when I found the Copera ciliata and was charmed by the white legs of those damselflies. 

This past week, the third Copera brother gave me another 'wow' moment when I suddenly realised there was a tiny yellow damselfly perched ever so quietly on the grass blade amidst all the fanfare of the dancing Vestalis damselflies.

This damselfly, the Copera marginipes of the family Platycnemididae, is marked with yellow streaks and has flattened yellow legs.  The male has hindwing length of 17 mm.  This species is widespread in tropical Asia.

Anyway, I am now wondering why I hadn't taken more photos of this damselfly and from different angles too.  I have taken only a few good photos, all from the same angle...

Sigh...  I wonder if I will be able to find it again along that forest stream?

Take a look at the three Copera brothers side by side...
...and look at those legs! 
Wow!

Copera vittata

Copera ciliata

Copera marginipes

Platycnemididae - Copera marginipes

An Afternoon With The Vestalis!

It had rained in the morning.

So... there goes my plan for the day, I thought.  Nevertheless, I was quite happy to stay indoors with a good book and stay dry and nice on days when I don't have to get all drenched in the rain like when I am working in the outdoors.

Contrary to what the weather forecast had said, rain in the morning and thunderstorms in the afternoon, the sun did come out much later in the day.  I was feeling rather lazy by then and was a bit reluctant to get moving but an opportunity to go looking for dragonflies is something I seldom resist!

The first creature to greet me was a Vestalis damselfly.  And as it turned out, this is one of the rare days with encounters of more than a dozen Vestalis damselflies!  Perhaps even a score... I had lost count!

Not only that, even though I had just missed witnessing a pair in wheel, I did get the chance to observe the behaviour of an ovipositing pair.

The male Vestalis gracilis damselfly was guarding the female throughout the ovipositing process, which took over fifteen minutes to complete.

The female damselfly took her time, carefully ovipositing her eggs into the grass stems at several different spots in the flowing water.

The male damselfly would be nearby the whole time.  Sometimes perched right next to her and keeping a lookout while at other times keeping a watchful eye on the female.

Once the oviposition was completed, both damselflies flew away in different directions to perch in different places.

I would have taken tons of photos but it was not easy.  The female would be perched on a grass stem that is quivering in the ripple of the stream.  With the slight breeze, she would also be quavering and almost swaying from side to side while she is ovipositing her eggs.  Add to that, my hands were shaky in my haste to capture the moment as fast as I could in case I missed it.  Arrrgh!

Finally, I did calm down enough to get a few shots that good enough!

After that, I did come across another pair of Vestalis damselflies in the midst of their courtship dance and sat down to watch and wait.  During this time, the female damselfly stopped momentarily to perch only once and the dancing would continue again.

But it was not meant to be.  After about thirty minutes, both damselflies went their separate ways.  Perhaps it had been just tedious.  Or perhaps because night would be approaching soon.

But, besides the Vestalis damselflies, I have another two species to add to my checklist!

What a great day indeed!

Outdoors = Nature = ;-)

Today turned out to be one for enjoying the pleasures of being in the outdoors, be it rain or shine, and simply enjoying nature.  And as it turned out, I have added more photos to my collection for dragonflies, damselflies and grasshoppers.

One of the first damselflies I spotted was the Heliocypha biforata.

And here's the female damselfly.

The Vestalis gracilis.  These damselflies were practically everywhere today!

The Vestalis gracilis, up close.

The Neurobasis chinensis, male.

A very young, teneral dragonly.
I had assumed it to be the Orthetrum sabina but I stand corrected.  It is the teneral dragonfly of the Gomphidae family. 

 

Thanks to dragonflyman for pointing it out.

Due to its large size, this is likely an exuvia of a dragonfly. 
I was thinking... a stone carving that looks like this would be strangely fascinating as the centrepiece in a garden.

A grasshopper feeding on a leaf...

Also came across a snake, but that will be the story for another day.....