Monday, March 15, 2010

Libellulidae Larva

I caught this larva in a water pool along a soiled road in an oil palm plantation. I saw a few adult dragonfly species hanging around the water pool - Neurothemis fluctuans, Orthetrum testaceum and Cratilla lineata. This larva definately doesn't look like that of N. fluctuans because its size (body length is 23 mm) is too large for N. fluctuans, and it also doesn't seen to be Cratilla sp. (I checked the larva drawing in the Pocket Book of Dragonflies of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore). Well, I am not quite sure about O. testaceum. I would presume the larva of O. testaceum should look close to O. chrysis. Then, I have bred the larva of O. chrysis (click here to see the larva). The larva of O. chrysis has small eyes. However, this one has big eyes.

Anyway, I am breeding this larva. It is in its F0 stage, and it looks quite matured. It has been halfly emerging from water for the last two nights. It will emerge in the next few days, I guess. I will have the final answer for its identity.........




Click here to find the answer.