Libellulidae - Camacinia gigantea

Gigantic Indeed!

Started the day with a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and doing crossword puzzles at the same time.  Yes, that is another of my favourite things to do!  And I can easily get quite engrossed with it and totally forget the time... like this morning.

When I finally looked up and looked out the window, "Wow!  It's a beautiful morning!  Bright and sunny!" 

This must be one of the brightest mornings for the week thus far!  So I grabbed my bag and headed out to the park expecting to see the usual species of dragonflies and damselflies.  What does it matter when I will still have a good field day out there, right?  After all, it's been ages since I last had a date with these dragonflies.

When I was nearing the first pond, I could see what looked like one of the Neurothemis dragonflies fluttering up and down over the length of the pond.  But when I got closer, I realised it is a much larger dragonfly.  This dragonfly is huge in comparison!  And the way it was fluttering about patrolling its territory was slightly different as well, not the usual 'mannerisms' of the Neurothemis dragonflies that I have watched so many times before.  I waited... hoping it would perch on one of the lilies so that I can have a good look at it.

Instead, it flew off to perch on a twig high above the water.  I was certainly piqued by now.  That is definitely quite unlike the behaviour of the Neurothemis species I have been observing!  By now, I was absolutely certain this would be another species to add to the checklist for Langkawi.

And I was right!  This beautiful, dark-reddish dragonfly is not a Neurothemis after all!  I had  certainly been fooled by its similar colour and pattern!

This large dragonfly is quite appropriately named the Camacinia gigantea, of the Libellulidae family.  The male has hindwing length of 44-47 mm.  According to the Pocket Guide, this dragonfly can be found at ponds and lakes in open areas, especially along the landward margins of mangroves, widespread but rare in the Indo-Australian tropics.

I stalked this dragonfly until I was satisfied that I have at least a few good photos.  I had observed only two males of the C. gigantea dragonflies at the pond this morning...  where are all the ladies?

In the earlier part of the morning, this male dragonfly frequently left its perch on the twig to patrol over the pond and chase the other male dragonfly away, showing dominance over his territory.  Some time later, I had observed both male dragonflies perched within a foot of each other on the same twig.  Interesting!

It has certainly been a great morning with an unexpected bonus!

Libellulidae - Tholymis tillarga

The Ghost Dragonfly

I was walking along the path and looking out for dragonflies but not finding any at all. 

So I started thinking, "This seems to be a quiet season for dragonflies...", when I noticed a red marking on the stem of some low shrubs.  What could it be? 

I sneaked closer for a look and as it turns out, this is the highlight of my walk today. 

The Tholymis tillarga when I spotted it today by chance this afternoon.

 

 

I started walking in closer very slowly and very quietly, each step as carefully as I can and took a few more photos as I approached it.  This dragonfly did not seem to mind my presence at all.

 

 

Once I had taken enough photos, I retraced my steps so as not to disturb it.  Could it be in a deep snooze?  I doubt it.  But I am glad it did not take off.

In previous encounters with this species, the Tholymis tillarga have always been such a relentless flier and would always be zapping up and down over the pond without stopping.  Such energy!  It had always been quite impossible to even try to take a photo of it.

Today, this dragonfly seems to be perched there, just posing for me.

It must be my lucky day. 

 

 

Orthetrum chrysis In Wheel

This is the first time I have managed to get a photo of a pair of Orthetrum chrysis in wheel.

If this pair of dragonflies hadn't been in pursuit by another amorous male, I would not have spotted them from across the pond.

I had to practically run around the perimeter of the small pond as quickly and as quietly as I can to get to them.  I was lucky on this day.  This pair was still in wheel when I got close enough for a photo.

And not just one lucky shot this time, but two!

Based on what I have seen of this species, the Orthetrum chrysis has a very short courtship-copulation period and would usually be in wheel for only a brief moment before they separate.  Almost immediately after that, the pair will fly about to look for suitable egg laying sites before the female begin laying her eggs in the pond by flicking the tip of her abdomen in the water in succession at quick intervals while the male dragonfly hovers over her in close proximity to keep guard and will give chase to other male dragonflies that come too close.

After that, the male will perch nearby in the same vicinity while the female flies away to hide. 

There have been times when the pair gets assaulted by another male before ovipositing is completed and sometimes the female may even be caught by another male before the egg laying can occur.

The whole cycle then starts all over again!

Libellulidae - Aethriamanta brevipennis

Red Rules!

 

That's right!  Another red dragonfly!

This is the Aethriamanta brevipennis of the family Libellulidae.  It is easier to tell this red dragonfly apart from most of the other red dragonflies because of its smaller size, as it has hindwing length of only 24.5mm.

Looking closely at its wings, you will notice that it has a dark patch at the hindwing base and it also has rather open wing venation compared to the other medium-sized red dragonflies.  According to the Pocket Guide, this species is rare and local in this region, so I am lucky to have come across this little red dragonfly.

 

 

Again, I had spotted only this one individual perched in the fields.

It is hard to dismiss red or to not like red, isnt it?

I'm a fan!

 

 

Libellulidae - Urothemis signata

Red! Red! Red!

I was not imagining things after all when I thought the one and only red dragonfly buzzing around among the many golden Crocothemis servilia was not the male of the same species.

And then I thought that perhaps it was the Rhodothemis rufa but it seemed somewhat different in the way it looked when it was buzzing around.

Once I got close enough to take a few photos and have a good look, I was quite elated when I realised it really is another species of red dragonfly.  What a surprising find!

 

 

This red dragonfly is the Urothemis signata of the family Libellulidae.  It has hindwing length of 35mm and its wings are more pointed, with very open venation and dark brown patch at the base, all of which are distinguishable features compared to other red dragonflies of similar size.

 

 

Although it was still quite early in the morning, this dragonfly was already getting into the obelisk stance.  I thought it was because the dragonfly should know better and that it was going to be another hot day.  As it turns out, this is a behaviour trait of this species and it is often found resting in bright sunlight, in the obelisk position.

Don't you just love all that red!

 

 

It Was Worth The Wait!

What a morning!

I was out of the house before the twilight hours and did not get home again till six hours later.  And, no, I do not have another sunrise photo to boot but I have had a field day with birds and dragonflies.  Even the cows had put on a head-butting show for me!

The truth is that I had intended to get more photos of the dawn skies but it just did not happen.  Not that the sky was not pretty this morning but I wanted to check out another location and it was the wrong choice.  Anyway, that spurred me to move on to other sites and it was a step in the right direction for the rest of the morning.  Lucky!

After checking out a few ponds and found to my dismay that the dragonflies seem to be sleeping in, I spent a fair bit of time birdwatching instead.  And it was great!  But the birds and the cows would be for another story and that can wait till another day.

What I am excited about is the dragonfly that I finally did identify today.  I have mentioned this red dragonfly before in one of my earlier ramblings.

Anyway, there were two different species that I saw this morning that I have yet to identify for the Langkawi checklist.  But I scored one.  Both are rather large dragonflies, one is red and the other is brown.  Both were patrolling a big area in the padi fields, their paths sometimes intersect, but they were not bothered about each other.  And both were flying up and down and around everywhere quite relentlessly.  From time to time, they would disappear from the fields but I could not see where they had gone to perch.

I found a shady spot and sat to watch the dragonflies.  After a long wait, the large, red dragonfly finally did perch on a twig high up in a tree next to me and I was in a mad, mad scramble to get the right setting on my camera to shoot it.  I was not the most successful, but I did get one photo.  Lucky, again!

 

 

This mysterious red dragonfly is the Tramea transmarina of the family Libellulidae.  It is a large dragonfly with the male having hindwing length of 43mm and recognised by the dark patch at the base of its hindwing.  The Pocket Guide says that this species is widespread in tropical Asia. 

It also says that the female has brown abdomen... so that makes me wonder?

So far, this is only the second time I have seen this dragonfly and I had spotted just two individuals this morning so it does not seem to be a common species to me, or at least not locally abundant here.  Add to that, the last one was eaten up by a Bee-eater!

And, actually, I do have another photo of the morning sky...

 

 

 

Another Red Dragonfly But.....

Saw another red dragonfly the other day.  The way it was flying was different from other red dragonflies I had seen.  That was how I noticed it. 

Anyway, it kept flying tirelessly up and down guarding over its territory and seldom stopped to perch.  When it did, it was only for a short moment before it took off again.  I barely had any time to take any photos but noted a few features though it was not enough for me to id it.

This red dragonfly is rather large, has a dark coloured thorax and the tip of its abdomen was much darker too.

I waited there, all ready to take a shot when it did perch again but before any of that could happen, a bee-eater swooped down at the buzzing dragonfly and that was it!

Oops!

Now I'll have to see if I can find it again.....

Anyway, here's the Chestnut-headed Bee-eater that ate the red dragonfly!

 

 

 

Libellulidae - Orthetrum testaceum

Back To Red!

Red is a great colour!  I like red.  It is one of those bright, happy colours.  A splash here and there can brighten up a lot of things, including brightening up your day! 

Red is a strong colour and it can mean many different things.  A red heart to symbolise love.  A red flag to denote impending battle.  Red is anger!  Red is hot!  Red is inspiring!

Red also represent fire and fortune, good luck, prosperity and joy.  Red is associated with strong emotions - energy, courage, passion, aggression, life!  I am sure you can think of many more... red skies, red sun, red roses.

And, of course, red dragonflies!

It is no wonder then that seeing red dragonflies gives me a sense of happiness!  Bright specks of red dotting the green fields and blue skies.  Nature gives us a million happy moments to savour each day!

 

 

The Rhodothemis rufa of the family Libellulidae is yet another red dragonfly that is commonly found in Langkawi.  It is, in fact, widespread in tropical Asia.

Although I had thought it to be the Crocothemis servilia, I took photos anyway.  It was only later when I studied the photos closely that I realised it was a different species.  It was a lucky shot.  Lucky me!  The Rhodothemis rufa is distinguished from the red Orthetrum and the Crocothemis servilia by details in their wing venations.  Yes, they look very much alike for three different species.

 

Rhodothemis rufa

 

 

 

Crocothemis servilia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orthetrum spp

 

 

 

 

 

The wing venations of the dragonflies are like thumbprints for us humans.  The Orthetrum spp has complete antenodal crossvein on its forewings and the Crocothemis servilia has three cell rows throughout the cubital field of its forewings.  The Rhodothemis rufa has two cell rows at some point along the cubital field and incomplete antenodal crossvein.  Although there are a few other details that might differ here and there, the wing venation is the main feature for identification and differentiation of these species.

Red means celebration too.  So, here's to another red dragonfly!

 

 

A Reddish Brown Species

On one of the days when I was out walking on a trail, I came across another Neurothemis species perched on a twig next to a stream.  It was not bothered by me at all when I got closer to have a look and then to take a few photos.

 

 

This is the Neurothemis fulvia of the family Libellulidae and it is easily differentiated from the Neurothemis fluctuans as it is slightly larger and has a reddish brown abdomen.  The hindwing length of the male is 28-31 mm.  Even the markings on the wings are different, namely the margins of the terminal hyaline area, which is roughly a convex.  Also, there is a tint that extends to its wing-tips.

 

 

Again, this species is widespread in mainland tropical Asia and commonly found around sluggish streams, mainly in lowland areas.

It is always a pleasure to sit on the grass next to a stream or on the edge of a pond and just absorb the beauty and serenity of the surroundings and listen the sounds of nature, the gurgles of a flowing stream, the music of the forest with the droning of some insects and a few birds chirping away.  All these have a very calming effect on the mind, body and soul.

And sitting there watching the activities of the dragonflies can be simply fascinating.

These are the simple pleasures in life.

 

 

Confusing Species...

There was this one afternoon when I came across so many differently coloured damselflies in the padi fields that I was just feeling surprised!

Are there really so many different species of damselflies here that I did not see till now?  Even if I eliminated the possibility of the male and female of a species having different colour forms, I still would have counted more than one species if they were different species at all?

These damselflies were so tiny.  And as it happened, it was rather breezy that afternoon that every blade of grass swayed in the hushest of breezes.  It made photographing them slightly difficult but not impossible.  What it needed was a bit more skills and definitely plenty of patience!

And as I have found out now, all those damselflies turned out to be of one single species after all...

What I have been talking about is the Agriocnemis femina of the family Coenagrionidae, which is one of the smallest species of damselflies that exist.  The hindwing length measures only 10mm and even the girth of its abdomen is just a fraction of that of the grass stem!

 

 

Never mind that it is the smallest species and you almost get cross-eyed trying to examine every feature with the naked eye, it is probably also one of the most confusing species for having so many different colour forms or colour changes with maturity and females being polymorphic as well.

Shown above is the mature male damselfly of this species with white pruinosity covering on its thorax, while captured below is a half-mature male of the same species.  You can see that the white pruinescence has not completely developed over its thorax and it has faint orange-reddish marking on the tip of the abdomen, similar to the full-grown adult male.

 

 

The next image shows an immature male having olive green markings on its thorax and with bright orange at the tip of its abdomen.  Besides it's small size, this orange marking is the only distinctive feature to differentiate it from the Ishnura senegalensis..

 

 

This damselfly that is almost all red is an immature female of the same species.  Its small size is a good differenting feature from other species.

 

 

And here's an adult female of the Agriocnemis femina.  Again, it is very similar to the Ischnura senegalensis, except for its tiny size.

 

 

All these photos were taken at a pond next to the padi fields.  This damselfly species breed in stagnant and slow-flowing water and is widespread in the Indo-Australian tropics.

What a day for Odonata identification!  For me, at least...

 

 

Another Red Dragonfly!

The Orthetrum chrysis that started me off on this quest to compile the checklist of dragonflies of Langkawi is not the only species of red dragonfly that exist.  There are many, many more!

And as I had mentioned before, the male of the Crocothemis servilia is red.  Now, I do mean really, really red.  Not just the thorax and abdomen, but the eyes and face too.  Here's looking at one of the good looking males of the Crocothemis servilia...

In the beginning, all red dragonflies were exactly that.  Red dragonflies.  They had all looked pretty much the same to me too.  And especially when what you could see with the naked eye is only a red dragonfly zapping past you.  How do you tell them apart?  How do you differentiate between the species?  I did not know any better then.

And to tell you the truth, when I first looked into the Pocket Guide and attempted to identify that first red dragonfly, I was stumped!  Totally stumped!

I had to put in an order for the book and have not had the chance to browse through it at the bookstore to know what to expect.  When I finally got the little book, I got home, turned the pages and, being as naive as I could be, had thought that I would be able to pick out and identify that red dragonfly just like that.  Yes, it seems funny now!  But, over that first hour of poring through the pages of the Pocket Guide, I became even more confused.  I was overwhelmed by it all.

Now I really am lost!  Which species is that red dragonfly?  It could be this and it could even be that!
So I had to go right back to the beginning and start all over again.  I read the chapter on "Introduction", slowly and thoroughly.  Then I looked into structures and features and kept going back again and again to the first chapter for references.

I had not studied biology.  Or botany, zoology, ecology or anything like that.  And I had never ever dissected anything at Science class in school.  So you can imagine all the new anatomical terms I had to digest.  But I am not giving up on this project!  I looked for more stuff online.  I went through anything and everything I could find and I devoured them.  Initially, it was all mumbo jumbo but it is all making more sense to me now.

These days, I am intent on taking a good look at every dragonfly I come across.  And, mind you, not just the red ones!  I am slowly learning to see the few differences between the species.  Although it often requires some close scrutiny to identify them, it is now sometimes possible to pick out some of the common species almost immediately.  Particularly when I keep going back to the same places and seeing the same species of dragonflies over and over again.  It is all a learning process.  It is a journey.

And, without fail, these dragonflies still have me looking at them in awe...

A Favourite Haunt

Laman Padi, or Rice Museum, is actually quite a fascinating place.

Here, you will find a museum showcasing traditional methods, tools and equipment used for padi planting, harvesting and processing of padi into rice, which is what we see sold in shops.  The museum itself is surrounded by "mini" padi fields with different varieties of rice being grown and in different stages of planting from freshly ploughed fields to newly sown seedlings to full grown padi stalks, waiting to be harvested.

This place is of interest to me because there are lots of ponds and large water areas.  A habitat for many species of dragonflies!  To add to that, it is only 5 minutes from home.  Sweet! 

As soon as you get to the edge of the ponds and padi fields, you will be greeted by many dragonflies zapping to the left and right of you all the time.  I have made many visits here and captured many images of different dragonfly species in this place.  These are mainly species common in open, degraded, disturbed habitats, agricultural lands and padi fields. 

Still, they are dragonflies.  

As with butterflies, birds and even fishes, dragonflies are also indicators of the state or health of the environment.  You see only certain species in disturbed areas.  You see other, sometimes rare, species in areas still in pristine conditions, still untouched and undisturbed.  That tells us a lot, isn't it?

This is the Crocothemis servilia of the family Libellulidae.  It is a common dragonfly species in this region.  There are lots of them at the Laman Padi.  A.G. Orr's Pocket Guide explains that this species is "...common in disturbed open habitats and agricultural land, especially padi."

The female of this species is differentiated by its light brown colour.  The male is red.  When this image was captured, it was midday.  And it certainly was a very hot day.

This female is in an obelisk position to avoid over-heating.  She is trying to cool down.

Here I am, looking at all these dragonflies from up close for the first time, through my "camera lens".  Even the most common dragonfly is a thing of beauty!

It gives me an adrenaline rush each time.

That Red Dragonfly

It all started with that red dragonfly; and here's the story...

On a nice day in early March, I had just finished work and was going home for lunch. As I was about to drive off, out of the blue, a few red dragonflies flew over and were zapping around near the front of my car.  I sat there and just watched them.  After a bit, I killed the engine, grabbed my camera and got out.

And they all scattered away...

There I was, standing there with my camera in hand, all ready to shoot, and my subjects are gone!  I was getting hungry, but food can wait.  All I wanted to do was to photograph these amazing creatures.  And so I waited.

Gradually, the dragonflies started coming back, they hovered around me, sometimes even quite close to me.  To check me out, I suppose?

I waited and I waited and I waited.  I stood there and waited, I squatted over the shallow drain and waited.  They zapped in front of me, they perched on some twigs, on the ground... literally flying everywhere around me.  You could just imagine the big smile on my face.

After a while, the dragonflies got used to me being there and started resting closer to me.  That's when I started snapping.  My first attempt at dragonfly photos! 

This went on for about 40 minutes before I finally decided I am satisfied with what I have and I am also really hungry now.  In that span of time, I took only about twelve shots.  I think it was a habit with an SLR; always wanting to save an exposure for that special shot such that I was not trigger happy even with the digital camera.  This is still quite new to me.  Anyway, from that dozen, I junked a few shots and was really stumped by one particular image.

By the beauty of the dragonfly staring right back at me.

This dragonfly is an Orthethrum species of the Libellulidae family.

Libellulidae has the largest dragonfly family in the world and comprise mostly of skimmers or perchers, as they are called.  They are common in many places and are easily identified by the distinctly broadened abdomen.  They also spend more time resting, which makes it easier to capture them "on film". 

The species is commonly found on lakes, ponds and marshes in open situations and is widespread in tropical Asia.

Anyway, for the whole day after that and for the next several days, all I could think of was "Wow!  That's it!  I want to photograph and list all the dragonfly species in Langkawi!"