Be Alert

Taken at Muaya Waterfall, Sipitang

# 1 - Walking Through Nature

It has been a while i did not share my experienced walking through nature. This will be my story for today. On the 10th of Jan, i went to the waterfall area, one of our conservation area to do some site survey for my Vanilla trial plot. Along the walk i observed a few interesting small creature and plants. Actually we wanted to plot a 50m x 50m plot and do some clearing for our pathway. So, along the pathway that we cleared we cross two rocky streams that have a very clear clean water. Cold and refreshing. Here is photos of four interesting fellas that i met along the walk.



A shy little criket on the mossy rock near the stream.
Keeping itself silence and static on the rock.
When i wanted to capture more of it photos, it flew away.

Climbing lianas with it's beautiful flower. It is quite interesting
because before this i captured a photo of liana's fruits.
Now i got one that with flower. Quite interesting for me because liana
is one of the important climbers for small mammals movements in the forest. 

The tree roots attached to the rock inside the rocky stream.
Amazing right? How the tree survive just attached its root to the rock.

Is this fungi? Hmmm... i think this is a fungi. One of the species.
Not sure what is t exactly.

That is all the findings for the day! Will share more stories of my walk in my next posts. Till then guys!

Mr. & Mrs. Ants with the melastoma flower

Taken while both busy searching for food (i think so..)

What is actually they are doing? I observed them while taking their photos but still i can't figure it out. What is actually they are doing, moving from end to end, on top of the flower till to stem of the tree. But the best shot is have is this while both are below the flower petals.

I stand next to them for quite sometime because they did not stop moving. They seems to be very busy but still i didn't see they found something like, food or anything else. Maybe they just scared because of my presence? Nah...i don't think so... he he he.. I sit there quietly what.

Okay, that is the lame story of mine for today. Till then. God  bless!

Interesting Moth

Front view of the moth.
Photo taken at Tomani, Sipitang, Sabah

View from behind of the moth.
Photo taken at Tomani, Tenom, Sabah

I love taking photo of moths now. I think i have quite a few collections of interesting moth species so far. But i am so sorry that i can't give more information about this species because this is my first encounter of this species too. When i think it is unique and interesting, for sure i don't know who are they.

I am so sorry for long silence from this blog because i am busy updating my other blog. Besides i didn't have anything new about my nature encounters so far. It's only ordinary things because i didn't went to jungle/forest lately. Only visiting a few kampongs and plantation so, not much on nature/wildlife things.

Anyway, thanks for my new followers that adding me in your blog lists and also for my loyal nature friends. I am so sorry that seldom visiting you guys here. Hope your adventure is fun and interesting each and every day too. I leave you guys with these two photos of unknown species of moth. Have a good day all !!

Simply Pretty - Actias maenas

I was amazed by this beautiful creature early in the morning. Over excited! That is what i feel when i saw this moth on the wall of our house in the camp site. It was really really and totally amazed me. This was my first encounter of this species of moth. I tried to Google it and at first i didn't find any match images on the net. I keep on searching and finally i found a brief info about this species.

Actias maenas, also known as Actias leto, can be found from north-central India east to Malaysia and from there it ranges south to Borneo. The subspecies A. maenas diana can be found on Sumatra and Bali. Actias maenas is quite variable in coloration throughout its range. In addition, the females have much shorter tails and fewer markings, making them look like a different species. In the wild, larvae feed on the foliage of Averrhoa, Schima, Adinandra, Canarium, and Turpina but have been reared in captivity on many other species, including Cider Gum (Eucalyptus gunnii) and Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata). This huge moth prefers lowland forests and is not easy to find. - Quote from God of Insects.

Interesting isn't it? God creates such a pretty creature on this earth. I still feel i am very luck this time cause i found this new species of moth. My first encounter. Feel happy and proud of it. (^___^).. Till then. 

Dragonfly

Dragonflies and damselflies are among the largest and most colourful insects. They are carnivorous and can hunt prey while flying about. They breed in water. The eggs hatch into a brown nymph which spends up to four years in the water before emerging as the colourful adult. Both are belong to the order Odonata. Order Odonata divide into three suborders: Zygoptera, the damselflies; Anisoptera, the dragonflies; and Anisozygoptera, a group somewhere in between the two. The Anisozygoptera suborder includes only one or two living odonates.

Dragonflies and damselflies are large or moderate sized predaceous insects. The body is long, often slender. The head is big with very large and prominent eyes. The antennae are thin and very short. They have four wings which are approximately the same size. The wings are membraneous with many veins. They have six legs with hooks. Hooks are also found on the tail end of males for clasping females. Nymphs of dragonflies and damselflies are aquatic.

How to differentiate between these two suborders? Here is some information that you can use to identify whether it is dragonflies or damselflies.

i. Dragonflies are big and acrobatic in flight. They like to attract attention. Damselflies are small and dainty and only fly short distances.

ii. Dragonfly resting or feeding holds its four wings straight out from its body. Damselflies at rest hold their wings folded or slightly spread, but close to their bodies.

iii. The fore and hind wings of a damselfly are the same shape. They all have narrow bases at the point of attachment to the abdomen. The wings of a dragonfly are different shapes. The fore wings have narrow bases while the hind wings are wide at the base.

iv. The aquatic nymphs of dragonflies and damselflies are also different. Nymphs of the damselflies have three tails like projections. These are gills, and are absent in dragonfly nymphs.

Hope this info will help those who did not know about this pretty insects. This three photos are the best shots that i ever did for a dragonflies. I never success to capture any of their photos before. I was lucky that this guy did not move while i am trying to get closer to him. Next time i will try to get a photos of damselflies but i know it will be more difficult to get. Till then!!

Cricket Again?

 Trying to hide from me. He turn his back and ignoring my existence. Perching on the wild orchid's flower.

Me? Still trying to get his photos. Behind the petals of the flower hiding Mr. Ant. Moving so fast until i missed him in both of my photos. It's okay Mr. Ant, i will get you some other time. Till then!!

Hunting Butterfly..... Again!

After I saw Mr. Green Cricket, i met this little friend not far from me. I want to take his picture while his wings flipped but he seems to be avoiding me. I tried my best to get his shots and these two is some of it. I still remember early this year i did hunt for a butterfly photos as well. See Hunting Butterfly where i captured a butterfly photos on flowers. Hmm..still i find it is difficult to get pretty picture of Mr. Butterfly. It is okay, i will keep on tried my best to get another one after this.

A tiny one with brown in colour. There was a big round eyes on the back of the wings. It is for sure just to do some camouflage and protect him from his predator. 

I will not give up Mr. Butterfly, i will get another species next time. There are a lots of different species of butterfly in Bornean forest. Till then!

Comouflage & Mimicry by Mr. Green Cricket

Camouflage and mimicry are adaptations some animals use as protection from predators. An animal that uses camouflage looks like things in its environment. It might look like a leaf, a twig, or a rock. Animals that use mimicry use colors and markings to look like another animal.

That is what Mr. Green Cricket doing. They just look like the green leaf where both of them perch. I almost overlook them for my first glance but then i realize there was something on the leaf. 

Just looks like the green leaf. The coloration is really similar. 

However, i only got the chance for about two minutes to captured their photos. This two is the best that i can get. They really gave me their best pose. Enjoy their photos. Till then. 

Spider Web & Mr. Spider

As early as 6am in the morning when we enter the forest we will see them on the ground. Sometimes we just ignore their occurrence because we want to see something more interesting without realizing that they are great as well. As part of the forest resident, i may say they are quite amazing. Below i post a few shots that i took during my recent trip into the forest of Sabah. 

This web is quite thick and big on the ground. Because of the morning mist, the web covered by the mist. 

They even make a web on the small Mimosa pudica trees. 

I love this one very much because even though the water drops on the web, it still can stays there. Quite tough structure for a spider web.

Suddenly, one of them came out. Maybe he notice my presence there and feel uncomfortable. But then, i manage to get the shots of this spider. 

See, it looks very pretty. 

I left him alone and hope i didn't step on any of them while i am walking on that trail. Anyway, it was great to realize and acknowledge they are part of the nature in any forest that i visit. Till then.

Angry Monster

I saw him crunching on a small flies on the floor. He strikes my attention. While he is enjoying his meal, i am busy captured his moments. Tried a few times but this one is the best one i get while there is still food in his mouth and some on the floor. I can heard the sounds of crunching when i took this photo. So cool!

Now, he almost finish his meal. But i am still trying to get his best shot. But he already done and start to get rid of me. Ok ok...since you are done, let me have one clear look of you pal.

Here you are. The most handsome little critter. (^-^)

Now You See Now You Don't

These few months or i can say almost about a year after i switch my job to social work, i lost my sense of identifying animals or plants. Too much thinking about human with their attitudes and giving so much headache. Yuhoo... I am complaining again. Nope, this is not a good working atmosphere. I need to stop complaining.


Alright, better i talk about something i like and love the most. Here we goes. I met this little critter way back in September last year. This was during my Hari Raya holiday at my village, Igan, Sarawak.


Actually, i was helping my mum with the palm tree (rumbia). Suddenly my eyes caught by this litter critter somewhere on the grass. Let me show some of his pictures first. Here they are. 

He keep on with his position seems to ignoring my presence. 

After a while, he is ready to fly away. You can see his leg is very strong. Ready to jump and took off.

Only about five minutes he left me alone again. Holding my camera still trying to get the best pose from him. By the way, these two photos, he is handsome here. :-)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Grasshopper

I was tried to figure out which angle is the best shot but i gave up when this little creature keep turning around. Maybe he curious what am i doing. Feeling unsecured by my camera flash. When i was a kid i used to chased grasshopper and played or i can say tortured this little thing. Hehehe...

Hunting Butterfly

I was tried very hard to capture this butterfly photos. But i end up with only this two shots and it is not so good though. I didn't have any photos of animals and plants this few months. Tried so hard to find one and hopefully my next visit i will get more interesting pictures of wild animals and plants. I hope i will.

Another Interesting Insects

A Cricket?

Hmmm......Not sure....

An Ants?

Hmm....looks like the Giant Ant but with wings? Not sure.......

Odonata: Damselflies

The Damselfly (Suborder Zygoptera) is an insect in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest.

Furthermore, the hindwing of the damselfly is essentially similar to the forewing, while the hindwing of the dragonfly broadens near the base, caudal to the connecting point at the body. Damselflies are also usually smaller, weaker fliers than dragonflies, and their eyes are separated.

**I can't took a good photo of damselflies. I have tried almost fifty shots but this is the only two that shows clearly how this insects looks like.

10 Most Alien Like Insects on Earth

I have recieved an email from a friend and this is really interesting. I want to share it here. I credited the brilliant photographer that took this wonderful and amazing photos. It's really interesting. Take a look.

This praying mantis looks straight out of Alien or Men in Black… No prizes for guessing who inspired whom.

"Call me a cricket one more time!" Grasshoppers have horns or antennas that are shorter than their body, unlike their relatives', the bush crickets. They may look well shielded but lose many a battle when they end up as a protein-rich delicacy on someone's plate in many parts of the world.

"Who you're calling an alien? Our ancestors have been around since 350 million BC!" Wasps are said to be terrestrial but some of them look positively extra-terrestrial. Though often called pests, they are in fact very important for ecosystems: as food for other insects and birds or as predators limiting the populations of many other species.

This praying mantis male would certainly score a role in any alien movie. His acting talent is undisputed as he's part of the flower mantis species - they pretend to be flowers and then attack their prey. How very cunning, indeed.

"I might look cute but I can sap you out!" Treehoppers have long fascinated biologists because of their unusual appearance. They belong to the Membracidae family and are closely related to cicadas and leafhoppers. They feed upon the sap found in plant stems, which they prick with their beaks.

"Hullo there, did I startle you? If I did pretty please, will you be my… ahem… buy my dinner?" This praying mantis is one of 2,000 species in the mantis order of insects. As predatory aliens, ER, insects, they might better be called preying mantis.

"Listen to me, Earthling, feel the mighty wrath of Gandalf the Green!" This green bush cricket of the TettigoniidaeLord of the Rings.

This species of aliens has fooled humans for many years. Popularly known as a bumblebee of the Apidae family, they have donned a fuzzy yellow-and-black fur and spread rumours that some of them are stingless. Right, whatever, just careful with that … thingy, dude!

"Give me… FOOD!" This fuzzy yellow alien with black spots is called Dasychira Pudibunda and is the larval form, or caterpillar, of the red-tailed moth.

This alien poses as a damselfly of the Zygoptera suborder. People often fail to notice that they hold their wings differently when at rest and are also smaller than dragonflies. Oh, and did you notice, their eyes are separated. Though running might be better than waiting to see the blue in their eyes…