Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Disco inferno ...

Here's one of the most vivid grasshoppers I have come across. He looks amazing with his array of colours. He looks like he is ready to hit the disco floor.

Order: Orthoptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown


Big eyes, bigger belly ...

Here's another jumping spider I saw recently at Nam Nao National Park, Petchabun. He was happily feasting on another spider bigger than himself. 

Order: Arachnida
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Jumping spider
Scientific name: Unknown


This photo came out a little blurred. But as it was extremely windy and the spider moved under the leaf with his prey, so I had to hold the leaf with one hand and my heavy camera gear in the other. So I think I am excused. Amazing markings, though.



Fur enough ...

... can anyone tell where the cushion fluff ends and the little spider starts? 
This little jumping spider decided to rest on my cushion. I think he's really cute.

Order: Arachnida 
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Common house jumping spider
Scientific name: Unknown




Tuesday, June 5, 2012

An ugly robber fly that came out beautifully ...

... I would say that this is the best photo I have managed to take of a bug to date. Everything seemed to just go right. It is of a robber fly (female, I think), that landed in front of me while I was searching for dragonflies at Nam Nao National Park, Petchabun recently. It was in a dark, forested area, but the photo just seemed to come out great. I don't know what species it is, but I hope that an expert could tell me.

Order: Diptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown


Thursday, May 31, 2012

Two-tone music ... 

These great-looking black and orange two-tone bugs were across the other side of the stream, Nam Nao headquarters. I couldn't see them at first, only hear them. They made a strange sound and eventually saw how beautiful they are. I waded across the stream and managed to get a few photos before they moved off quickly. They are a cross between a cicada and a giant leaf hopper, but I think they are of the cicada family. I will place them into that category until I know better.

Order: Hemiptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown



At the end of the rainbow ...

... maybe this is what you find. Two beautiful moths. I saw this pair very late in the afteroon while searching for dragonflies up Phu Kradeung National Park, Loei. 

Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Zygaenidae 
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Cyclosia sp.




Big, strange bugs now available @ 7/11...

Both of these large bugs I saw at a 7/11 very early in the morning. The brownish-coloured specimen was underneath the ceiling at a 7/11 just outside Chumpae, Khon Kaen. The second, greenish-coloured specimen, was spotted at a 7/11 near Phu Rua, Loei province. They are different species of Sathrophyllia, but I don't really know exactly what.  

Order: Orthoptera
Family: Tettigoniidae
Subfamily: Pseudophylinae
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Sathrophyllia sp.


The Chumpae specimen ...


This one has exceptionally long antennae ...


The Phu Rua specimen. I think this is a beautiful creature ...



Digby, the biggest bug in the world ...

This has to be one of the largest bugs in the world. It was simply massive. I can't give an exact size, as it was high up at a 7/11 near Phu Rua town, Loei at about 4 a.m. I think it is a female Giant False-Leaf Katydid, but I am not sure. Hopefully, an expert can confirm this.

Order: Orthoptera
Family: Tettigoniidae
Vernacular name: Giant false leaf katydid
Scientific name: Pseudophyllus titan (possibly)





Your eyes are bigger than your belly ...

In most cases, that saying is untrue. As it is in this case too! Though this minute mayfly looks like it has got enormous eyes, they are in fact, not eyes. If you look closely, you can see its eyes underneath. I actually have no idea what they are. Maybe some kind of weird antennae for sensing the opposite sex or simply something to attract a mate ... the bigger and brighter the better. Just a guess.

Order: Emeroptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown





Pray for May ...

This is the biggest mayfly I have ever seen and was oddly sitting in a pray-like position. It was hiding away amongst the reeds at marshland  just outside Nam Nao town, Loei. I'm not sure how big they grow, but I don't think they get much bigger than this.

Order: Ephemeroptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown



From May(fly) to September ...

When I went dragonfly hunting at Phu Rua NP last September, I came across a rather large mayfly. I have seen a number of mayflies before, but never one that was red. I think it looks great. I have no idea what species it is, other than it's a mayfly! Any help with ID?

Order: Ephemeroptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown


The bug that looks more like an ant-eater ...

When I last visited Khao Yai NP, I was enjoying a drink with my girlfriend, Beau. Suddenly, this little fellow appeared from nowhere. He has an amazingly long snout and he looks great with his brightly coloured wing casing. 

Order: Coleoptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown



A mini millipede at first light ...

... this little millipede I saw along the pathway last December, as I walked towards Sat Anodat on Phu Kradueng NP, Loei. It is the only one of this nature I have ever seen and its orange/red colour were extremely vivid. 

Order: Dipopoda
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown



Pink, to make the boys (actually girls) wink ...

Here is an amazing little species of millipede that is black with shimmering pink marks. I have spotted this species now in two places: once at a small river near Nam Nao town, Petchabun; and the second at a stream near Phu Rua National Park, Loei. Both times they were under heavy tree cover (but liked the exposed bits) and moved quickly around in soft sandy areas of the bank. At Phu Rua, they were extremely abundant, but difficult to photograph because of the lighting and the speed in which they moved.

Order: Diplopoda
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown

Here are the ones I saw at Phu Rua ...



... and Nam Nao town ...


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Milli-t-ants ...

What a rubbish header ... These aggressive ants worked together perfectly to drag a heavy-looking millipede across the pathway at a large stream near Phu Rua NP, Loei. I think this is a different species of millipede to what I have seen before . It was a lighter brown than others I have seen, with yellowish stripes and was around 8 inches in length. It was difficult to get good photos as the ants were dragging the millipede rapidly, using their teamwork skills.

Order: Diplopoda
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown




Small, green jumping machine ...

Here's a great-looking grasshopper that I saw at Phu Kradeung NP, Loei last year. He's very brightly coloured and can jump extremely high.

Order: Orthoptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific ame: Unknown



Touché, turtle ...

Riding my scooter on regular occasions to Nam Nao National Park (300 kms round trip), I always thought it would have been idiot drivers who could have wiped me out. I never expected, however, at 4 a.m. one morning to almost be written off by a turtle (I think) running across the highway as quickly as his little legs would carry him. I had to swerve sharply and almost came off. I did a U-Turn and managed to stop him just before he ran into the bushes. I got a few half-decent photos in almost total darkness. He was only about 10 inches across his back, but he still looks great.

Order: Birds and Animals
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: A turtle?
Scientific name: Unknown





'Twitching' to get in on the action ...

... Although I love looking at birds (both kinds), I'm not really a 'twitcher'. Yet, whilst I was searching for bugs in the complex of a resort I was staying at, in Khao Yai, I noticed a beautiful bird high above me, chirping away. He wasn't that scared and allowed me to continue photographing bugs without him flying away. Eventually, he hopped further down the tree and got even closer to me ... he obviously wanted his 15 minutes of fame. Not bad photos, to say that I was using a 100 mm macro lens! So, this blog is for you, bird.

Order: Birds & Animals
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown



Monitoring the situation ...

I have spotted many monitor lizards from Jomtiem, Pattaya to Bangkok and Kanchanaburi. Yet, when I visited an upland and exposed river in Khao Yai (Khorat) to hunt for dragonflies, another kind of dragon was lying in waiting. Away from the campers, there were a number of specimens living amongst the small wooden homes erected there. Their size ranged between 2-6 ft, but they were extremely cautious and somewhat timid. They always seemed to move before I had a chance to get really good photos, but these will do until my next visit.

Order: Squamata
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Monitor Lizard
Scientific name: Unknown

This one was around 4 ft long and was extremely weary of my presence.


This was a 'baby' 2 footer, that virtually ran into the water with a big splash.


Now he's swimming away ...



Here's the big mamma of them all. This one was about 6 ft in length, but quickly swam to the other side of the river to reach safety (and annoyingly become partly obscured by foliage).


Run for the air raid shelters ... 

Last September I visited Phu Rua National Park. En route I stopped off at a garage with a 7/11 at 4 a.m. just outside Phu Rua town centre. When I got out of the car, I was almost knocked out by a falling missile. It turned out to be a big creamy-coloured beetle. And there were many of them dropping down in the night's sky. They really are big, bulky bugs, but rather beautiful all the same.

Order: Coleoptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown



Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Sleeping beauty ...

This small bee had just 'nestled down' for the night. I think he looks really cute and has wonderful colours.

Order: Hymenoptera
Famiy: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown


Big eyes are watching ...

Here's a big fly with even bigger eyes that I saw on the edge of a paddy field just on the outskirts of Khon Kaen about 2 years ago. He's a rather scary-looking fly.

Order: Diptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown


Shut your gob ...

Not totally sure why this tree lizard was open-mouthed, but I think it was a threat to me, as I was rather close. He wouldn't budge and it gave me the opportunity to take this photo. This is one of my favourite lizard shots.

Order: Squamata
Family: Unknown
Subfamily: Unknown
Vernacular name: Common Tree Lizard
Scientific name: Unknown





A wall of noise ... 

Easily the loudest lizards in the world. Well, they are at 3 a.m. when you're trying to sleep! The Tookay, a large gecko that most Thais are scared to death of. They are very common, but difficult to photograph. Their colours vary, as does their size depending on age. I think they look particularly beautiful. This one I saw at a building just outside Khao Yai, but I have seen them everywhere.

Order: Squamata
Family: Gekkonidae
Subfamily: Sauria
Vernacular name: Tookay Gecko
Scientific name: Gekko Gecko




Who ate all the Jaffa cakes ...?

Ahhh... there's the culprit, a beautiful Forest Crested Lizard, which I caught a glimpse of at Khao Yai NP last year. I have also spotted them at Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai, but they are very difficult to get near.

Order: Squamata
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Forest Crested Lizard
Scientific name: Calotes emma


Gecko or skink ... ? makes you think ...

Here's a little fellow I saw deep in the forest at Nam Nao NP, that I can't decide what it is. I am leaning towards a small skink, but I am not sure.

Order: Squamata
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown


Perfectly camouflaged green moth ... on a white wall ...

... probably not the best idea as there are millions of geckos knocking around, but I think this little fellow looks great. He was above my door about 3 nights ago.

Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Unknown
Vernacular name: Unknown
Scientific name: Unknown