Dragonfly (13) - Ictinogomphus Decoratus Melaenops

Family : Gomphidae
Common Name : Common Flangetail
Status : Common
Location : West Coast Park, Venus Drive, Lornie Trail, Rifle Range Nature Trail, Singapore Botanical Gardens

(Venus Drive, 25 Feb 2009)

This is one of the biggest dragonflies (about 12 cm long) that I have seen in Singapore, easily 4 times the size of Asian Pintail (see previous post). It is classified as a very common species but I would consider it relatively common as I have spotted them only 4 or 5 times so far.  I first spotted it at West Coast Park and recently at a slow-moving open stream in Venus Drive. It has a aggresive look maybe due to its huge size and certainly not an easy species to get close. The nearest distance that I was able to shoot was more than a metre away but fortunately, it often returned to the same twig where it perched.

On 13 Sep 2010, I finally got an improvement shot of this giant dragonfly.

(Singapore Botanical Gardens - 13 Sep 2010)

Dragonfly (12) - Acisoma Panorpoides (錐腹蜻蜓)

Family : Libellulidae
Common name : Asian Pintail
Status : Common

This is a relatively small species commonly found in shrub-dominated streams, canals, drains, ponds, etc. The female is greenish grey in colour while the male has black & white body with attractive blue eyes. I have seen them in the grass patches near Holland Woods and a steam near Segar Road sometime in Mid June 08. On both occasions, I had difficulty getting near to them and did not manage to get good shots. It was almost a year later on 9 May 09 when I revisited Holland Woods, did I manage to get some improvement shots of the male. It was at 7.30 am and this male was probably fast asleep allowing me to go very near to capture some close-up shots as well.

(Male - Holland Woods, 9 May 2009)

(Female - Holland Woods, 30 Mar 2010)

In Mar 2010, I was lucky again to find a sleeping female at Holland Woods.  It was pretty early in the morning and there were some dews on its body giving it a refleshing look. 

(Holland Woods - 20 Mar 2010)