Gomphidae - Ictinogomphus decoratus

Gomphidae - Ictinogomphus decoratus melaenops (Selys, 1858)

Among the 15 odonate families recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, Gomphidae is the second largest family with 35 species. Members of Gomphidae are normally large with yellow/green strips on thorax and abdomen, and of course the separated-eye character is a key to identify this family. Actually, most gomphids are residents of forest, and it is not easy to spot them eventhough one visits to forest. However, Ictinogomphus decoratus (a gomphid) is totally different from the other gomphids. This gomphid species can be easily spotted at disturbed areas. It is the most common gomphid species in Peninsular Malaysia. Ictinogomphus decoratus likes to hang around ponds, likes, slow flowing rivers/streams. It is quite comfortable with muddy water. It pearches frequently on strong twigs and plants by water edge or in the middle of the water body. The female has similar marking as the male, but is less commonly seen at the water body.

Libellulidae - Nannophya pygmaea

Libellulidea - Nannophya pygmaea Rambur, 1842

Nannophya pygmaea is one of the smallest dragonfly (Anisopterean) species in the world. It is definitely the smallest dragonfly species in Peninsular Malaysia. The size of N. pygmaea is about hw (hindwing) = 12 cm. It has bright red eyes and body, and the bases of hindwings and forewings are yellow tinted. Nannophya pygmaea prefers stagnant open water (such as open swamp and marsh) with grassy vegetation. It is strictly a forest species. The male is red but the female is rather dark brown (with light bands on the abdomen). However, the colour (light brown) of the immatured male is similar to that of immatured female.

A matured male

A matured female

A immatured male

A half matured male

Platycnemididae - Coeliccia kumurai

Platycnemididae - Coeliccia kimurai Asahina, 1990

On 7 May 2007 I was at Sg. Beringin in Gunung Angsi Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan for Odonata sampling. The part of the stream that I did my sampling is rocky with close vegatation (see the habitat picture below). I spotted a few Drepanosticta fontinalis there. However, I was surprised to caught two male specimens of Coeliccia.

At close look in the field, these specimens (see photos below) resemble Coeliccia erici - a pair of broad dot marking on synthorax and the presence of blue marking at segments 9-10 of abdomen. I was excited on the catch because it was my first catch on C. erici. Therefore, I went in the micro habitat to further look for erici. However, I was in vain, and I had to be happy with only two male specimens before leaving the sampling site. Nevertheless, I was taken aback when I investigated the specimens closely after coming back from the sampling. The specimens do not look exactly like erici as the anal appendages of the specimens are different from that of erici! The shape of superior anal appendages is different from erici, and the length of superior anal appendages is longer than the inferior ones (reverse in erici). So, it is not erici. What is it then? There are only four Coeliccia species recorded in Peninsular Malaysia. None of them match well the specimens.

I contacted Bert (Dr. A.G. Orr) to sort out this mistery. Bert told me that none of the Bornean Coeliccia species match the specimens collected from Gunung Angsi Forest Reserve! Dr. Rory Dow was contacted by Bert to sort out the mistery as well. Rory is actually working on Coeliccia. Therefore, he shows great interest in the specimens. Both Bert and Rory thought that this could be a new species. However, after two weeks of intensive search, Rory came back with the news that this is actually C. kimurai which was described by Dr. Syoziro Asahina hiden somewhere in his book "A List of the Odonata from Thailand" published in 1990 . Asahina (1990) mentioned that Y. Kimura collected two specimens (one male and one female) from Yala Province of Thailand (southern part of Peninsular Thailand) in 1988 which happened to be a new species. Asahina honoured the new species after Kimura.

So, my catch of kimurai is in fact exciting on two counts. The second location of the species is far down into Peninsular Malaysia, which may indicate that the species is wide spread but extremely rare because only four specimens (two in Thailand and two in Malaysia) have been collected so far. My catch on kimurai in Gunung Angsi Forest Reserve would be the first encounter of the species after 20 years of its first appearence! The presence of kimurai in Negeri Sembilan is in fact a new record for Malaysia.

Libellulidea - Risiophlebia dohrni

Libellulidea - Risiophlebia dohrni (Kruger, 1902)
Risiophlebia dohrni has long been recorded in Singapore but it has not yet been spotted in Peninsular Malaysia until 2006. Orr (2005) also mentioned about the occurrence of R. dohrni in Singapore but not Peninsular Malaysia, however, he did believe that R. dohrni should ultimately be found in Peninsular Malaysia. My personal account on this species is tremendous...... I recorded this species in three locations. I sampled it for the first time in Bukit Bauk, Terengganu (May 2006); then in Panti, Johor (August 2006); and finally in Pondok Tanjung, Perak (February 2007). So, R. dohrni is most likely well distributed from north to south of Peninsular Malaysia. Nevertheless, I do believe that R. dohrni is a "rare" (uncommon) species. This species is listed as endangered species in Singapore Red Data Book. The habitat of R. dohrni is peat swamp forest.

Libellulidae - Rhyothemis aterrima

Libellulidae - Rhyothemis aterrima Selys, 1891
This is another beautiful Rhyothemis species. I like to call it as "Man In Black", totally black in colour from head to tail! Many older individuals of R. aterrima have broken wings due to their aggressive behaviour. Orr (2005) stated in his book on the behaviour of R. atterima as "combatants meeting with an audible clashing of wings". Rhyothemis aterrima is found at open swamp in the forest. They particularly playful under the sun. I recorded R. atterima in Bangi Forest Reserve. Nevertheless, my first encounter with this species was actually in Chini Lake two year ago.

Libellulidae - Rhyothemis phyllis

Libellulidae - Rhyothemis phyllis (Sulzer, 1776)
There are six Rhyothemis species in Peninsular Malaysia. Rhyothemis is characterized by its broad hingwings and short abdomen. Rhyothemis phyllis is quite a common species normally found at exposed marshes and ponds. It is frequently spotted in swarm of 10 to 20, though it is also present in one or two individuals accassionally. Rhyothemis phyllis likes to hover under the sun and settle down immediately on twigs and between leaves when the sky is over shadowed.

Aquatic Habitat 001

There is an abandoned oxidation pond in the UKM campus next to the Bangi Forest Reserve. The water level of the pond is not too deep, and of course the bottom of the pond is full of fallen leaves and branches from the surrounding trees. I have been hanging around the pond to search for dragonflies.......

The pond is a good habitat for many odonate species, mainly from the family Libellulidae. Below are the odonate species that I spotted hanging around the pond:

Agriocnemis femina
Argiocnemis rubescens
Ceriagrion cerinorubellum
Ictinogomphus decoratus
Anax guttatus
Acisoma panorpoides
Aethriamanta brevipennis
Aethriamanta gracilis
Brachydiplax chalybea
Brachydiplax farinosa
Brachythemis contaminata
Lathrecista asiatica
Neurothemis fluctuans
Orthetrum glaucum
Orthetrum testaceum
Pseudothemis jorina
Ryothemis obsolescens
Ryothemis phyllis
Ryothemis triangularis
Trithemis aurora
Trithemis festiva
Tyriobapta torrida
Urothemis signata
Zyxomma petiolatum

Libellulidae - Lyriothemis biappendiculata

Lyriothemis biappendiculata (Selys, 1878)
I was in the Bangi Forest Reserve today. Some clearing work is going on in the forest to maintain the jungle trail. In order to make the workers' life easier, I went into the forest to re-mark the trail. At the swampy area along the jungle trail, I bumped into this little guy - Lyriothemis biappendiculata. I quickily took out my compact digital camera to make a few good snaps on this guy. Lyriothemis biappendiculata is a forest species and it is normally found at swampy area or sometimes perch at dense vegetation a bit away from the swamp. The broad flattened bright red abdomen identifies the species. Some people with imaginative mind portray the abdomen of L. biappendiculata as a red-coloured lip of a pretty lady.

Amphipterygidae - Devadatta argyoides

Devadatta argyoides (Selys, 1859)
In Malaysia, there are two Devadatta species: Devadatta argyoides and D. podolestoides. However, D. argyoides is found in Peninsular Malaysia and D. podolestoides is endemic to Borneo. Photo below shows a wheel pair of D. argyoides. Devadatta is belonged to family Amphipterygidae. It is said that the family Amphipterygidae is a primitive family. Dr. A.G. Orr came to visit UKM Bangi on 19-27 November 2007. He indulged himself much in odonate sampling at the aquatic habitats around the UKM Bangi campus. I remember one late afternoon he was so delighted to show me some D. argyoides larvae that he sampled at the forest streamlet not too far from the building of the Faculty of Science and Technology. Dr. Orr narrated his exciting encounter and observation of D. argyoides larvae during his UKM visit in AGRION 12(1) (http://ecoevo.uvigo.es/WDA/).

A beautiful wheel pair of D. argyoides. The presence of D. argyoides indicates the good quality of aquatic habitats in the forest.

Coenagrionidae - Agriocnemis femina

Agriocnemis femina (Brauer, 1868)
Agriocnemis femina is one of the smallest damselfly species in the world with a size of hw=10mm. This damselfly species is quite variable in appearence according to maturity. The immature male individual has olive green marking on thorax and orange marking on tail. When mature, the body of male individual is covered with powdery white pruinescence, and the orange marking on tail will disappear. On the other hand, the mature female individual has olive green marking but the immature individual is rather red in colour. Agriocnemis femina is commonly found at open pond and marsh covered with grasses and reeds.

An immature male individual

A half mature male individual

A mature male individual

An immature female individual