Indaeschna grubaueri

Anisoptera

Species Name: Indaeschna grubaueri

Family: Aeshnidae

Male resting beside pond

Members of the family Aeshnidae are the gaints of the Odonata and this is one of the largest of the gaints. This is the second time that I've seen and photographed this species at the very same pond at the edge of a forest reserve near Lahad Datu town. The first time was in 2006 when I saw a male resting on vegetation at the side of the pond, and today I was fortunate enough to see this huge female ovipositing at this pond. Interestingly she was laying her eggs in the moist soil just above the water. This species is also known to lay its eggs in water-filled tree holes and on buttress cavities of large trees.

Female on the wing

Females of I. grubaueri have hindwings that measure up to 68mm while males are thinner and smaller with 59-62mm long hindwings. Both sexes are similarly coloured with bright lime-green markings on the thorax and wide bands on the abdomen.

Female ovipositing on wet soil above water line

This species is said to be widespread in lowland forest in Sundaland and the Philippines.

Ceriagrion bellona

Zygoptera

Species Name: Ceriagrion bellona

Family: Coenagrionidae

Members of the genus Ceriagrion are indeed some of the most beautiful damselflies, they come in shades of red, green and yellow. Back in 2005 when I just started to photograph and learn about Odonata I found some mating and ovipositing pairs of C. bellona along a small stream in hill country on the forest edge in Tambunan. The thorax of the males are orange and greenish with bright red abdomens while the females are mainly olive green. Males look quite similar to C. cerinorubellum which is the commoner of the two Ceriagrion species found in Borneo.

C. bellona is restricted to north Borneo and is recorded at 1000m on Mount Kinabalu as well as in the lowlands at Danum Valley.

Xiphiagrion cynomelas

Zygoptera
Species Name: Xiphiagrion cynomelas
Family: Coenagrionidae

This is another species of blue-coloured damselflies that are common in drains, lily ponds and stagnant bodies of water. They resemble Pseudagrion microcephalum but are smaller and both these species often share the same ponds. As with the latter species the male remained paired with the female while she lays her eggs onto water weeds and many pairs can be seen ovipositing en masse.

The male is blue on the sides of its thorax and black dorsally with two blue spots just behind the head, the abdomen is black tipped with blue. Females are similarly marked but dark olive instead of black as in the male. this dark area also lack blue spots.

Distribution: Borneo, Philippines, Indonesia.