Summer of 2009: Rainforest 2

A lot of insects live in tropical rainforest. But we didn’t find too much as we expected. Maybe it was not the right season. However, it was the right season for all kinds of butterflies, which attracted us most, in the begin of August.

Butterflies gather together, drink a lot of water and drain it to cool their bodies in hot days.

Thauria Lathyi

Stibochiona nicea

Loxura atymnus

Cyrestis sp.

This funny skipper butterfly kept sucking the liquid drained from itself. Then it drained and sucked again and again. I infer it’s a simple way to quickly make the skipper cool without much effort to find enough water source in hot day.

To be continued

Summer of 2009: Rainforest 1

This summer I went my home: Yunnan Province, China. Yunnan is famous for its diversity of terrain, climate, ecosystem and life. During the holiday I visited some places in south and southwest of the province, where more creatures could be found. The very fisrt place I want to show you is the rainforest of the Green Water River near Manhao (Find out the location here). We have stayed there for only one day because there are no place to live. A few days later I retured with my parents again. My time is so limited today and more pictures will be posted in the following days.

The overview of the rainforest

odd tropical floras

fungi at the bottom of the forest

the fruits of some kind of fan palm

To be continued

Dragonfly Emerged 3

Dear friends, I’m back. I know you have waited me for long time. Soooooo sorry for that and thanks for your visiting again! Actually I still cannot load Blogger here in usual way. Now I’m here through GappProxy.

Anotogaster kuchenbeiseri is the largest dragonfly in Beijing. It’s the third and the last dragonfly species that I fed this year. They have all emerged in May and June when the network is unavailable. Now here are some records.

The full-grown naiad of Anotogaster kuchenbeiseri. I got eight of this in the Botanical Garden on April, 25.

Left：Male Right：Female

The naiads live in the mud under the stream, hunting all kinds of aquatic creatures by the “mask”, as it were, the forelegs of a mantis.

Six left one month later. The first male emerged in the morning of May, 27.

How to identify a dragonfly of Cordulegastridae Family? Their two eyes connect at one point.

Feeding tips: A relatively capacious space is necessary. Keep the environment dark and keep the water clean. Do not fill with too much water. Be careful about the temperature in hot summer. Warm water may lead to oxygen deficiency. And don't forget to put some rocks and branches for emerging.

Before its first flying, draining surplus water can lighten its weight.

Left：Male Right：Female

The eyes will turn to green a few days later.

Related Posts：
Dragonfly Emerged
Dragonfly Emerged 2

Blogger is Blocked in China

My friends, you may have not seen me for days and I missed you so much. But I have to tell you helplessly that I cannot visit my site and other Blogger blogs these days. The Blogger was blocked by the GFW again!!!!! I don't know how long this will going to last!!!

You can click here to know more about what is GFW!!!!! Something really stupid that only can be created by CHINESE GOVERNMENT!!!!!

It's quite difficult for me to sign in and post via different ways. I'm so sorry about this but I can do nothing...

Dragonfly Emerged 2

 

This has been posted in this and this post. It finally emerged in the morning of 5.11

My roomate told me that it had emerged when I woke up in the morning.

I didn’t go to bed until 1:30 for my homework. I was so tired that I fell asleep soon then missed the process.

This is Aeschnophlebia longistigma Selys, 1883

There are two special spots on its eyes

Unfortunately, it missed one leg during the eclosion

There is another nymph of this species in the water. I will try to capture the whole process of it next time.

Related Posts：
My Aquarium 1: Dragonflies
My Aquarium 2: The Molting
Dragonfly Emerged