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.....

Calopterygidae - Neurobasis chinensis

Glimmering Green Wings

This past week, I have been out scouting for dragonflies and damselflies whenever I can.  And I must say that being in the forests and near streams listening to insect choruses and the sounds of flowing water have been most peaceful and just sweet! 

It is certainly the best music for the ears; not to mention the mind and soul.

My explorations have also been fruitful.

I have found the mature male of the Neurobasis chinensis and this is what it looks like:

 

 

I sat down to observe this male damselfly and when it had landed on a perch, it will initially flutter its wings several times, repeated at intervals, displaying the brilliant colours of its hindwings.  After a while, it will then remain quite still and motionless for a long time unless disturbed.  Sometimes, it would be grooming. 

When disturbed, it will then take off from its perch, find another place or fly back to the same perch and repeat the fluttering displays of its bright glimmering green hindwings again.  I took the chance in keeping the camera focused on it and patience and perseverence did pay off!

 

 

It is a good looking male damselfly, isn't it?

Also observed the female of this species fluttering its wings and giving a display while it was perched on a rock nearby.

 

 

That got me to wonder if these fluttering displays are signals and do they mean anything?

When I came across the female Neurobasis chinensis for the first time some time ago, I did not find the male damselfly then and I also did not observe any wing display by the female.  Click here to read the earlier article.

 

 

And So It Is The Neurobasis chinensis!

 

Yippee!

Many thanks to Ian Choong, who has confirmed that the beautiful, green and graceful damselfly that I had thought might be the Vestalis species, is actually the Neurobasis chinensis, female, also of the family Calopterygidae.  This species is widespread in mainland tropical Asia and Sumatra.

 

 

I had needed that expert eye to confirm this and when it comes to Odonata of Peninsular Malaysia, he really is the expert here, having spent many years observing and studying them.

 

 

Since he has confirmed the identification of this species, I now notice the white pseudo-pterostigma on the hindwings too.  This applies to the females of this species.  I do hope to come across the male of this species one of these days.  From the Guide Book, the male looks like he'll really make heads turn.  It's definitely a wow!  So I am keeping my fingers crossed and now have renewed motivation to keep scouring Langkawi for it.

 

 

Previously, I had been looking at the thorax and appendages; literally everything but the markings on the wings!  And sometimes when you are looking for outstanding details in too many pictures of similar things for too long, they all become a blur and look the same!  Yet now, the markings on the wings seem so obvious.  I had been so blind to it.

Lesson learned.

And, as I would always say, learning never stop.