Indothemis carnatica VS Indothemis limbata

Two Indothemis species are found in Malaysia - Indothemis carnatica and Indothemis limbata. Both the species are dark blue in colour, and they are normally found at ponds. The matured males of the species are not too hard to be distinguished by two characters. In I. carnatica, the wing tips are not tinted and the tail end (anal appendages) is slight lighter (a bit cream in colour). On the other hand, I. limbata has tinted wing tips and the tail end is dark in colour.

Indothemis carnatica - male

UKM Bangi, Selangor

Indothemis limbata - male

Kajang, Selangor

Mortonagrion aborense

Mortonagrion aborense - female

Hutan Simpan Bukit Senggeh, Melaka

Orthetrum luzonicum

Orthetrum luzonicum - male

Hutan Simpan Bukit Senggeh, Melaka

Cratilla lineata vs Cratilla metallica - Famale

The females of Cratilla lineata and Cratilla metallica are not too hard to be told apart. At first glance, the wing tips for both the females are tinted. However, the edge of the tinted area is more defined and darker in C. metallica than C. lineata. Apart from that, the colour of C. metallica is metallic but not so in C. lineata. 

Cratilla lineata - female

UKM Bangi, Selangor

Cratilla metallica - female

UKM Bangi, Selangor

Heliocypha biforata

Heliocypha biforata - female

Hutan Simpan Batang Melaka, Melaka

Agrionoptera insignis

Agrionoptera insignis - male

Hutan Simpan Bukit Senggeh, Melaka

Preying - Acisoma panorpoides on Onychargia atrocyana

Acisoma panorpoides (female) is preying on Onychargia atrocyana (freshly emerged male)

Hutan Simpan Batang Melaka, Melaka

Nesoxenia lineata

Nesoxenia lineata - male

Hutan Simpan Bukit Senggeh, Melaka

Preying on Heliocypha biforata

a strider is preying on Heliocypha biforata (male)

Hutan Simpan Batang Melaka, Melaka

Scientific Expedition of Melaka Forests

I joined the Scientific Expedition of Melaka Forest 2025 organized by Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Melaka and Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia on 22-26 June 2025. The expedition covered three forest reserves - Hutan Simpan Bukit Sedanan, Hutan Simpan Bukit Senggeh and Hutan Simpan Batang Melaka. The basecamp of the expedition was located at Taman Negeri Melaka Bukit Sedanan.

the basecamp at Taman Negeri Melaka Bukit Sedanan

a nice lake (ex-sand mining lake) at Taman Negeri Melaka Bukit Sedanan