Dragonfly (32) - Orthetrum Chrysis

Family : Libellulidae

Common Name : Spine-tufted Skimmer

Status : Common
Location : Rifle Range Nature Trail, Venus Drive

This is a common and relatively unattractive dragonfly species.  It is not easy to get a nice shot as they are usually quite sensitive to human.  I often gave it a miss and therefore, I am not surprised that I could only found one record image in my harddisk.  I shall make an effort to spend sometime on this species and get a better shot next time. 

(Rifle Range Nature Trail - 22 Apr 2010)

Dragonfly (31) - Trithemis Festiva

Family : Libellulidae

Common Name : Indigo Dropwing
Status : Common
Location : Venus Drive

Trithemis Festiva is not really an uncommon species as I have seen them a few times at the stream near the entrance of Venus Drive.  They love to perch under strong sunlight and are quite active in the late morning.  Thus, getting a good shot of them is not easy.  This record shot was taken more than 1.5 years ago and it is a shame that I have not been able to get improvement shots of this beauty since then.

(Venus Drive - 6 Jan 2009)

Spotted this dragonfly at a stream in Endau-Rompin National Park.

(Endau-Rompin National Park - 31 Aug 2010)

Dragonfly (24) - Neurothemis Fluctuans

Family : Neurothemis fluctuans
Common Name : Common Parasol
Status : Very common
Location : Almost anywhere in Singapore where there are bushes near ponds, streams, lake, reservoirs, etc.

This is easily one of the most common dragonfly species that you can find in Singapore. They are so common that most of the photographers, me included, would give it a miss when seeing them.

(Male - Venus Drive, 25 Nov 2008)

(Female - Venus Drive, 24 Oct 2009)

Dragonfly (23) - Rhyothemis Triangularis

Family : Libellulidae
Common Name : Sapphire Flutterer
Status : Uncommon
Location : Chestnut Ave, Venus Drive, Eng Neo Ave

Rhyothemis Triangularis is an unmistakable species.  The male has distinct dark metallic blue colour on its wings. Female is similar to the male but the base of its wings are darker.  This uncommon male species was first sighted at Venus Drive but I gave it a miss as I had not started collecting Odonata at that time.  My 2nd sighting was at Chestnut Ave.   I only managed a few record shots before it flew away.

(Male - Chestnut Avenue, 2 Nov 2009)

My 3rd sighting was at Eng Neo Ave but unfortunately, I still did not get nice images of it. I have yet to meet the female. In my opinion, it is best to take from a dorsal view to show its beautiful wings. I shall do that next time.

(Male - Eng Neo Ave, 2010)

My 4th sighting of this species was at Jurong Woods II.  Unfortunately, it was too sensitive to me and I could not get close to it.  I was bitten by a water leeches while chasing for it!  My 5th meeting was at Lornie Trail on 25 Aug 2010 and this time I managed to set a reasonable dorsal view showing the beautiful wings of this dragonfly.

(Lornie Trail - 25 Aug 2010)

Damselfly (17) - Teinobasis Ruficollis

Family : Coenagrionidae
Common name : Red-tailed Sprite
Status : Rare
Location : Bukit Timah Bicycle Trail, Venus Drive

This rare forest species was spotted on the same day as the Slender Midget (see previous post) around the same area. As I was focusing on the Slender Midget, I managed only a record shot of it. I went back to the same place again 4 days later hoping to get some improvement shots. My wish came true!  It was spotted it again a few months later but this time at Venus Drive.

(Bukit Timah Cycling Trail - 4 Jun 2009)

(Bukit Timah Cycling Trail - 4 Jun 2009)

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)

Damselfly (15) - Copera marginipes [黃狹扇蟌]

Family : Platycnemidae
Common name : Yellow Featherlegs
Status : Common
Location : Chestnut Ave, Segar Road, Venus Drive, Jurong Woods II

This is classified as a common species but not many of us have seen or phogographed it in Singapore. The male has beautiful yellowish thorax, a black obdomen with white marking on it.

(Male - Chestnut Avel, 4 Aug 2009)

The male was first spotted at a stream near Venus Drive but I did not manage to get any shot as it was difficult to approach. Two males were seen perching in a drain near Segar Road few week later. I managed to get some record shots but was still unable to get closer to it. I finally captured a better shot when I found the male again at a stream along Chestnut Avenue Bicycle Trail. This time, the female which has an overall black thorax and obdomen was also found nearby.

(Female - Chestnut Avenue, 4 Aug 2009)

When I revisited the place again 2 day later, a juvenile was found. It has a unique overall white in colour.

(Juvenile - Chestnut Ave, 6 Aug 2009)

(Mating - Chestnut Ave, 26 Aug 2009)

My recent sighting of this species where the juvenile, male, female as well as 2 mating pairs were spotted at a small muddy stream at Jurong Woods II on 21 Aug 2010.

Dragonfly (10) - Agrionoptera Insignis

Family : Libellulidae
Common name : Grenadier
Status : Common

This is classified as an uncommon species but I have seen them on many occasions such as Venus Drive, West Coast Park, Rifle Rifle Range Nature Trail, Jurong Woods, Jurong Woods II, Wild Wild West, etc. Generally,k, they are usually found in sluggish streams & shady drains.  Quite a common species in my opinion. 

(Male - Venus Drive, 25 Feb 2009)

The male has a a prominent red obdomen while the female is thicker and duller in colour.  A very cooperative species which usually perches around the same spot for a prolonged period.

(Female - Venus Drive, 15 Jan 2009)

(Male closeup - West Coast Park, 31 Jan 2009)

Damselfly (13) - Ceriagrion Cerinorubellum [彩虹細蟌]

Family : Coenagrionidae
Common Name : Ornate Coraltail or Bi-coloured Damsel
Status : Very Common
Location : Singapore Botanical Gardens, Holland Woods, Wild Wild West, Jurong Woods, Kranji Nature Trail, etc.

(Venus Drive, 16 Sep 2009)

This beautiful damselfly is the most common species in Singapore. They can be easily found in many of our parks particularly around ponds, drains, canal, open streams, etc. They could also be found in our forested areas. 

(Singapore Botanical Gardens, 29 Oct 2008)

They are relatively big in size and I have seen them, on a few occasions, attacking and feeding on other species of smaller damselflies. Both sexes have similar appearance except that the female has slightly darker marking.

Being common and having a colourful body, they are also the most photographed species. They are quite approachable and get a close-up shot is fairly easy.

Dragonfly (9) - Tyriobapta torrida

Family : Libellulidae
Common Name : Treehugger
Status : Common
Location : Venus Drive

Female - Venus Drive, 29 Dec 2008

This tree-hugging dragonfly is a common forest species. Both sexes likes to hug tree trunks especially the female. The males can be found perching in dark shady streams as well. The female is light brown in colour with nice pattern on its obdomen while the male has quite a difference appearance. It is dark blue in colour with large black patch at the base of both wings. When they are perching on tree trunks, it is quite easy to photograph as they always come back to the same spot. And with the tree trunks, one would not need to worry too much of the winds.

Male - Venus Drive, 29 Dec 2008)

Damselfly (10) - Argiocnemis Rubescens

Family : Coenagrionidae
Common Name : Variable Sprite
Status : Uncommon
Location : Venus Drive

This is another confusing species because of its age related colour variation.  According to Mr Tang, the  immature of both sexes, the segments 1-5 of the abdomen are orange to cherry red abdomen but this darkens with maturity and the coloration is predominately black and light blue.  This species has unique upper part of eye black with lower part green.  I am still not very sure how to differentiate the male from the female.

(Immature female - Venus Drive, 10 Jan 2009)

Immature female - The abdomen darkened from segments 5-7, segments 2-4 remain red. Colours of abdomen lighter than those of the young male, segments 8-9 do not become light blue.  Synthorax changes from light yellow to yellow and it does not change to light blue as in the young male.

(Mature female - Venus Drive, 13 Jul 2009)

Mature female - Abdominal segments 1-7 are black on dorsum, blue ventrally; segments 8-9 black with tiny patch of blue on the side of segment 8.  Synthorax blue and black with yellow; two narrow blue banks on the dorsum.

(Immature male - Venus Drive, 29 Dec 2008)

Immature male - Abdomen dark from segments 5-7, segments 2-4 remain red, while 8-9 change from light red to light blue. Synthorax is black and blue colour.

(Mature - Venus Drive, 18 Jul 2009)

Mature male - Abdominal segments 1-3 black ondorsum with blue ventrally; segments 4-7 black; segments 8-9 blue.  Synthorax blue and black.

(Immature female? - Venus Drive, June 2009)

My guess of the  above damselfly should be an immature female.  Please drop me a comment if you think otherwise.

(Immature male, close-up side view - Venus Drive, 29 Dec 2008)

(Mature female, close-up side view - Venus Drive, 28 Dec 2008)

Reference : A photographic guide to the Dragonflies of Singapore.

Dragonfly (8) - Trithemis Aurora (紫紅蜻蜓)

Family : Libellulidae
Common Name : Crimson Dropwing
Status : Very Common
Location : Singapore Botanical Gardens, Segar Road, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Holland Woods, etc.

(Female - Holland Wood, 27 Dec 2007)

This Dawn Dropwing species is one of the most common dragonflies than can be found near ponds, open streams and lakes. They are very attractive looking and easily noticeable. The female has bright orange colour while the male is deep pink in colour. They are very quite easy to approach and usually not a problem to get some close-up shots.

(Male - Singapore Botanical Gardens, 6 Aug 2008)

(Male close-up - Venus Drive, 19 Feb 2008)

(Female close-up - Singapore Botanical Gardens, 27 Dec 2007)

Damselfly (6) - Archibasis Viola

Family : Coenagrionidae

Common Name : Violet Sprite

Status : Uncommon

Location : Venus Drive

This is an uncommon violet blue damselfly found at Venus Drive near the forest edge. It was not easy to get near to this species. I had spotted it twice at the same location late 2008 and could only manage a few whole body shots. Spotted it again in a stream on 13 Feb 2009 and I was fortunate to have a close-up shot this time although it was not of the best quality. I have not been able to spot this species elsewhere so far.

(Venus Drive - 25 Feb 2009)

(Venus Drive, 14 Nov 2008)

(Venus Drive, 13 Feb 2009)

Dragonfly (4) - Tholymis Tillarga

Family : Libellulidae

Common Name : White-barred Duskhawk
Status : Common
Location : Venus Drive, Upper Peirce, Macritchie Nature Trail

This is a common forest dragonfly. The male body is reddish in colour including adbomen. Both wings are transparent with the high wing with white and brown on the base. The female is less attractive with yellowish in colour and its hind wings have translucent brown near the base.

(Male - Venus Drive, 21 Jan 2009)

 A good time to photograph this species is during morning and early afternoon when they are less active and are usually seen hanging on to the side twigs. It is not difficult to get close to it but once you scare them off, they are unlikely to come back on the same perch or in the vincinity.

(Male & Female - Macritchie Nature Trail, 29 Jan 2009)

Damselfly (4) - Podolestes Orientalis

Family : Megapodagrionidae)

Common Name : Flatwings
Status : Common forest species
Location : Venus Drive, Macritchie Nature Trail

The Podolestes orientalis is a common forest damselfly. It was first recorded in Singapore in 1997 and commonly known as the Flatwings Damselfly.  It is moderately built which likes to perch with its wings open up like a dragonfly. 

(Male - Venus Drive, 5 Nov 2008)

I first spotted it perching on a twig in the middle of in a small muddy pool of water. Looking from about a metre away, I had actually mistaken it as a dragonfly because of its flat wings and relatively bigger than the normal damselfly. It was not easy to set my tripod in the muddy water and quite difficult to move around as the surrounding area is small. Fortunately, the subject was cooperative which allowed me to get some close-up shots. As expected, the lighting in the forest was not ideal and since this was the first time that I was shooting under such poor light condition, I had quite a difficulty photographing it and I just tried my luck by trial and error.

(A shot showing the flat wings)

I initially thought it was a uncommon species but when I explored more into the various forest, I realised that they are actually quite common.

(Side view close-up shot)

(Mating - Venus Drive, 18 Jul 2009)

Dragonfly (3) - Gynacantha Dohrni

Family : Aeshnidae
Common Name : Spear-tail Duskhawker
Status : Uncommon
Location : Venus Drive

This is an uncommon forest dragonfly.  It was first recorded in Singapore in 1979 and sequenetly in 2005. It is relatively large in size with attractive green eyes and thorax.

(Male - Venus Drive, 4 Jan 2009)

I first found it in Venus Drive in Jan 2009 at a waterless stream filled with lots of dry leaves and branches. It likes to perch low on twigs, below an observer's eye-level making it difficult to photograpy.  I usually see them in the late afternoon after 4 pm onwards hanging on lowly at dry branches. It was not easy to get near to this species and I could only manage some record shots.  As at Aug 2010, I have not seen it for more than a year!

(Side view - Venus Drive, 4 Jan 2009)

Damselfly (3) - Coeliccia Octogesima

Family : Platycnemidae
Common Name : Telephone Sylvan
Status : Common forest species
Location : Venus Drive, Upper pierce, Rifle Range Nature Trail

The Coeliccia octogesima is a common forest species. Unlike most damselflies that I've seen, it has a thin body and held its wings apart instead of holding them together vertically. This male species is easily identified by the two telephone shape from the dorsal view of its thorax. The female is similar to the male but the telephone shape is less well defined.

(Venus Drive, 4 Feb 2009)

I first spotted it on 26 Dec 2008 perching very lowly on small patch of grass making it difficult to photograph the side view. I found a mating pair in Feb 09 but it soon separated and perched on a thin branch in small dark stream but it was high enough this time to have a classic side view shot.

(Venus Drive, 4 Feb 2009)

This is one of the most cooperative species that I have seen and I have no problem getting a dorsal close-up view.

Dragonfly (1) - Agrionoptera Sexlineata

Family : Libellulidae
Common Name : Handsome Grenadier
Status : Uncommon
Location : Venus Drive, Macritchie Nature Trail

This colourful species is a rare forest dragonfly which I spotted while on my way to search for the metallic green damselfly. It is one of the most beautiful dragonflies that I have sen so far.  The male has blue, black and red segments of abdomen.  The thorax of both sexes is deep metallic green with three yellow stripes on the sides.  The female is slightly larger with orange colour of 6-7 segments of its obdomen.

(Male - Venus Drive, 29 Dec 2008)

Unlike other forest dragonflies which often perch on shady or darker areas, the male of this species seems to prefer on bright open space. They usually come out in the afternoon and lighting was not an issue. They are also quite cooperative and I have little problems shooting them.

(Female - Venus Drive, 6 Jan 2009)

(Male, front view - Venus Drive, 29 Dec 2008)