Fairies under the Troll Bridge

Hey ya'll

Damselflies truly are the most amazing and beautiful things!!! Superficially and at a glance, they sometimes resemble their close cousins, the dragonflies... but one need only take a second look to see that they really are quite different! Their flight patterns for example, are not quite so purposeful or aggressive as their, rather aptly named, relations and their bodies too are articulated in a rather unique manner. Instead of having both eyes joined together in an enormous orb, damselfly eyes are separate and usually resemble delicate beads on either side of the insect's head. Their wings, too, are held differently and while a dragonfly would hold its wings flat (that is spread out on either side of its body), damselflies typically fold both wings over their backs in pretty much the same manner butterflies do! Either way, I must be quite frank with you that I do not know enough about damselflies (or dragonflies, for that matter!) to be able to espouse anything that may be of exceptional use, but I can recount one particularly joyful experience of mine which took place sometime ago when I crawled under an old and dis-used bridge (to hunt for frogs, fish and things like that). Unknown to me, my forays disturbed an entire colony of damselflies which rose all around me in a shimmering cloud! Such wonderful colors they came in, from brilliant greens and golds, to dazzling purples and sparkling blues! All around me, they fluttered and tumbled, and some of the braver ones even consented to alight on my hands. It was quite a magical thing, and I almost felt as if I had stumbled out of this world and into that of the fairies! Indeed, it was one experience I will not soon (or ever) forget!

I crawled under the Troll Bridge, and found fairies instead. 

Cheers,
Cyren

Butterfly Hunting and Other Adventures

Hey ya'll 

I recently made a decision, to just do the things that I want, however "far out" or "unreasonable" they may sometimes seem. Due to the ever increasing certainty of certain circumstances regarding my being, I've begun to realize that all this effort that I am putting into my work right now... all this "stockpiling" I'm doing for the "future" pretty much counts for nothing if I never actually get to witness or enjoy that future first hand, and so instead I've started to learn to do something quite different (to me, anyway!) and that is take some time off to enjoy the present. And today, that is precisely what I did. It all started when I found myself, rather unexpectedly, with the entire morning off! No work. No exams to invigilate. Just a stack of assignment scripts I should be marking but have put on hold in the bottom drawer of my desk. So when a bunch of friends made plans to conduct a little "expedition" to the Forest today morning, I was rather quick to take them up on their most generous offer. I did not regret it.

The trip, though began on a rather dismal  tone as the sky was gray and huge rain-clouds threatened us with rain, gradually began to pick up the pace as the heavier rain clouds slowly blew away to reveal a moderately cloudy but still fairly sunny day. Consequently, as one might imagine, butterflies which were hiding away due to the cold weather of the morning gradually began to make their appearance as the day progresses. Like little dancers they were, in their gaudy and beautiful costumes of yellows, browns and blues, fluttering around and about us in a drunken haze. Butterflies of all shapes and sizes ranging from modestly small common grass yellows (Eurema hecabe) to the larger and more striking butterflies of the crows and tigers families (Danaiidae). At one point, while we were trailing the edge of the lake in search of Nepenthes, I even encountered a very large, and very beautiful female of the Helena's birdwing butterfly (Troides helena). Bug maniac that I am, I was in lepidoptera heaven, and I'm sure that these images will speak out for themselves. 

Common grass yellow (Eurema hecabe) puddling in large numbers

Yellow glassy tiger (Danaus aspasia)

Blue tiger (Tirumala) limniace

Royal assarian (Terinos clarrisa) ventral view

Royal assarian (Terinos clarrisa) dorsal view

Black veined tiger butterfly (Danaus melanippus hegesippus), which (as you can probably deduce from its markings and colorations) is a distant cousin to the famous Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

Banded imperial butterfly (Eooxilides tharis distanti)

I also took the opportunity to enlighten my expedition mates on some basic knowledge on butterfly anatomy, such as determining sex with non sexually dimorphic species.

No, I was not torturing the butterfly! I was simply showing Joanne and Naomi the "pencil hairs" which just out from the butterfly's abdomen to disperse pheromones during their courtship rituals.

Of course, the actual number of butterflies we encountered throughout the trek numbered more than are displayed here but not all of them were "catch-able" due to a combination of factors (mostly my limited stamina and the butterfly's own skill of grace and evasion). Aside from the birdwing we encountered by the lake, I did not see many other Papillionidae save for several Tailed jays (Graphium agamemnon) and what I think may be a Great Helen (Papilio iswara). What intrigues me most, however, was a fairly large hesperid (or at least, that's what it looked like) that was colored an iridescent greenish-blue that tapered to egg-yolk yellow around its thorax. We encountered only one such butterfly at the start of the trek but it was too quick for me and managed to escape without even so much as a picture shot. Anyone know any species that resemble the above description (however arbitrarily, it would still be interesting to know, so do message me or leave a comment if you do!).  Aside from butterflies we encountered an abundance of other insect life. As you may expect, from a habitat located next to a lake, there was also an abundance of dragon and damselflies of all shapes and sizes, some of which were truly most interesting!!! 

These damselflies, which were small and blue in color, were the most abundant and rather easy to catch. Unlike their kin and cousins (the dragonflies) they seemed to adopt a rather lazy sort of flight instead. I caught this individual simply by reaching out and plucking at it with my fingers.

These extremely colorful ones, on the other hand, were a lot more difficult. They  flitted quite  suddenly away from any approaching object and despite their striking coloration (and it really IS quite colorful if you take a nice long look; green eyes, blue thorax and an orange and teal striped abdomen) they are extremely difficult to spot once they flutter away into the undergrowth. 

But the "best" dragonfly that we spotted today must definitely be one of these. Not quite as abundant in number as the other species, these dragonflies were still undoubtedly one of the more striking ones that were present by the pond. It may not be noticeable here, but under the soft glow of the morning sun, its wings actually SPARKLE (that's right, SPARKLE) with the iridescence of bronzed gold. Unlike other dragonflies it's flight is rather lazy and when perched seems to delight in angling its wings this way and that to reflect the sun (though for what purpose this may be, I really can't say). 

And speaking of insects in the area, I shall not forget to mention the patches of insectivorous plants (that is, plants that eat insects) which we found there as well! They were all pitchers, mainly Nepenthesis gracilis (identified by Joanne), though I daresay if we looked closer and longer we may have found something else and Joanne mentions that their presence in the area is puzzling because they usually colonize places with low soil quality and this forest is clearly teeming with life!!! A possibly explanation however might be the acidity of thel ake water (which was rather murky in a chalky sort of way, suggesting high CO2 content) and these pitcher plants all grew very close to the bank.

Budding pitchers

CLUMPS of pitchers

Against my hand for size comparison

The final half of our trip took us to the "abandoned shack", actually one out of two abandoned shacks, where Joanne and her friend, Steven, had previously found a pair of cinnamon tree-frogs. We had no such luck, though, and all we found when we pulled off the corrugated iron sheet that was covering the opening of a well was a pool of very clear stagnant water. The shack, however, was a different story and was quite a pleasure to explore. I discovered, upon entering that it was more of a medium sized house than a shack. It boasted a fair-sized domicile with an inner courtyard that led to two toilets. Various artifacts of the home's previous life remained in the building. The rotten frame for a bed, and cups and bowls that were so old they had began to cake with dirt and dust. But just as one life had passed from this now abandoned home, other lifeforms have found shelter and now called it home. The entire building consisted of a total of four rooms and all of these, were heavily colonized by bats of various species. I could tell summarily that a large majority of them were fruit bats though there were some of smaller varieties that might have been insectivorous bats (the emitted very high pitched quips that sounded very much like the sounds I've heard bats make when finding their way via echolocation). I could not tell them all apart though, or distinguish any individual species, but you will excuse me as I am no expert on chiroptera. Perhaps, the next time I return to this forest, I can bring along someone who is! Despite our efforts to remain absolutely silent, the bats objected to our presence somewhat, and we promptly made our way out of there the moment we noticed that many of them had began to stir and fly about. Naomi, being the smart one, stood outside but Joanne and I had to deal for a few moments with the rather unsettling over-head flutter of disoriented Bats!!! 

Bats hanging from the ceiling.

Before long, it seemed as if it was too, our turn to head out of the forest. Such a pity, as I could have really stayed in there for hours on end! But there was still work to be done, and I had already enjoyed myself quite sufficiently. I gave a respectful bow to the one that guards these lands, and we began the steady but steep trek down. By the time we reached the base, it was just barely 12.00.

Cheers,
Cyren

Photographs courtesy of Joanne Tong. 

Pins and Needles 11: Those tiny things they call Dragons.

Hey ya'll

So it would seem, that after that particularly unforgettable event of catching dragonflies in the Monash University field, I have developed quite a strong fascination for these creatures! I mean yes, I do love butterflies and moths still... such amazing wings they have... but then again, have you actually taken a close look at some of these dragonfly wings? I mean those lovely venation patterns aside, many dragonflies' wings have this amazing sheen to it that refracts various colours when they catch the light... and that's not even counting those dragonflies which already possess brilliantly coloured pigmentation on their wings as it is. Anyway, to fuel my newfound fascination with these insects from the order Odonata, (and also as a sort of self-reward for finishing the rewrite for my thesis chapter for what must be the umpteenth time...) I managed to take a day off today and schedule a day trip with Ray to the Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur.. now, if you do not already know which one I am talking about (and there really ARE a lot of parks with huge lakes in them in Kuala Lumpur) this is the one located near the deer farms and the butterfly gardens... to capture me some miniature dragons!

Cyren Asteraceya Wong: Dragon Hunter

Raymond Tang: Trusty Assistant. 

Unsurprisingly - and this is only to be expected from a place surrounded by beautiful lakes although, when we actually got there it sort of surprised me - there were dozens of dragonflies there! Flying, buzzing, skimming the surfaces of the ponds, flirting, dancing, cartwheeling amongst the lily flowers! Red dragonflies! Blue dragonflies! Large ferocious looking ones with black bodies and electric green stripes, delicate butterfly-like ones with handsome maroon wings. I had never seen so many of them, and in such variety too, all in one place at any given time. I think I must've stood there like an idiot for a couple of seconds, like a child perhaps in a very large toystore whose not quite sure which section to browse at first when eventually, the entomologist instinct began to kick in... and away I went, gallivanting amongst the grasses, oblivious almost to the clouds of annoying little mosquitoes that rose up with each step I took, raising my net high, and entering the fray!

Dragonflies in receptive mating positions dotted the pond.

Some interesting facts about dragonflies, they are a group of four winged insects that are classified under the order Odonata. Unlike butterflies and moths, which go through a complete metamorphosis, dragonflies actually grow through incomplete metamorphosis, from nymphs resembling something like a wingless dragonfly with a stouter body, that feed on small fish, tadpoles and other organisms underwater. When the nymphs have grown sufficiently, they crawl out of the water to cast off their final molt and spread their wings as adult dragonflies. Unlike what most people might think, dragonflies are actually predatorial in nature and - in this amateur entomologist's opinion - are only second in ferociousness to the praying mantis! Hunting their prey on the wing, dragonflies are unsurprisingly superb fliers being some of the few living things on earth that can actually fly backwards, and change their directions abruptly in mid-flight. They are also amongst the fastest of all flying insects recording highest speeds of up to 90 kilometers an hour with some species, and on an average of 40 to 50 kilometers per hour with most. Although, like all insects, dragonflies possess three pairs of legs which are excellent for perching and for snatching up their prey (smaller flying insects) in mid-flight, dragonflies legs are actually quite inept at walking and many do not do this at all. Dragonflies have compound eyes which are connected all round their heads giving them almost 360 degree vision. While this enables them to scan for predators... it also makes then very difficult to catch!

Though... perhaps not quite so difficult for an experienced bug catcher like myself...

Despite it all though, the searing afternoon heat and the swarms of mosquitoes, I really did have myself an amazing time and I'm sure Ray did too... despite it all (he really is extremely accommodating to my crazy expenditions)... but we did get to meet some other enthusiasts too, most friendly perhaps was this one Dutch man who came all the way to fair Malaysia with his macro DLSR camera to "capture dragonflies... and basically anything else that's small and with wings!" Sure was interesting that we were both after the same "prey" but through different methods. Had a nice chat with him before sending him on his way with directions to the butterfly park. I'll bet he's got some amazing pictures to upload on his blog, particularly the one he took of a pair of dragonflies "making more baby dragonflies". Oh well, I only had my iphone 4 with me so... no such pictures. I did leave however, with a mighty haul of specimens (one of which had to be separated from the rest when it started eating them all up!) Anyway here are the rest of the pics from our dragon hunt

And in this corner... the reds, purples and maroons! 

Trusty assistant taking a well-deserved break

And finally (please don't kill me, this is all part of my research on local biodiversity after all...)

Oh...those little things called dragons

Chasing Dragons

Hey ya'll,

I know this post sorta comes a little belated... especially when everything happened like a dream yesterday... but all I can say is that after a hard day's work, cooped up in my tiny little office, upsetting Spike, my poor potted plant, spilling soil all over the carpet, then having to fetch the poor cleaner (who was almost about ready to go off duty by the way) to vacuum all the dirt up after my own failed attempts at sweeping it up back into the pot with a piece of paper... it seems welcome, appropriate even, for one to regress back into one's own childhood state and enjoy some of the things we had enjoyed doing (but often taken for granted, slap our ungrateful child selves) in our youth! So, like two idiots, on the lawn of Monash University Sunway Campus, Ray and I ran with our nets, chasing after those tiny little flies some people sometimes call dragons... not for study, not for specimen collecting, but rather, for the sheer exhilaration and thrill of it.

I spy with my little eye, something buzzing; a Dragonfly!!!

Surprisingly, waiting for them to come to you - as opposed to running around like mad-chicken after them - can be quite Zen...

Precious catches of the day.

And one last thing to be the cherry on top of this dream-a-licious sundae~ a little video I put together, that's going to be this huge collection of videos I've made for the both of us ever since we got together. Enjoy :)