Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Dragonfly (37) - Chalybeothemis Fluviatilis

Family : Libellulidae
Common Name : Green-eyed Percher
Status : Uncommon
Location : Lornie Trail

This is a small and thin uncommon dragonfly which is slightly smaller than that of the Diplacodes Trivialis.  As its common name suggests, both sexes have attractive green eyes.  The thorax of the male is metallic dark blue colour.  Accordingly to the Dragonflies of Singapore's Photographic Guide Book, the female is similar but with brown colour on the dorsum of thorax and the wing base tinted with brownish yellow.

(Male - Lornie Trail, 23 Aug 2010)

Similar to my 2 previous posts, this male was also sighted at the edges of Macritchie Reservior along Lornie Trail.  A skittish species which did not allow me to go fewer than 2 metres near.  I could only shoot from the walking path looking down into the reservior water where this dragonfly perched just slightly above.  Even with my 1.4TC attached to a 180mm macro lens, this image was heavily cropped.  I hope to get an improvement shot of the male soon and to meet the female too!

Revisited Lornie Trail during my morning off this morning (25 Aug 2010) and was rewarded with another 3 new collection of dragonflies and some improvement shots of exisitng species.

(Front view - Lornie Trail, 25 Aug 2010)

(Dorsal view - Lornie Trail, 25 Aug 2010)

I was excited to witness a mating pair but fortunately it lasted only for a minute or so and I was too slow to get a good shot at them. 

(Mating pair - Lornie Trail, 25 Aug 2010)
  

4 comments:

Federick Ho said...

You have got some very nice and uncommon DF shots at Lornie Trail. Congrats.

Anthony Quek said...

Federick,
Thank you so much for sharing this place with me, an excellent site to watch and photograph dragonflies and damselflies.

Antony Ratcliffe said...

Congratulations Anthony, you managed to get a great shot of the mating pair there.

Anthony Quek said...

Thanks Antony!
I was fortunate to capture the mating pair. Mating dragonflies are so difficult to find.