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Dragonflies at Singapore’s Bishan Park

on 23rd February 2014

Dragonflies are usually associated with freshwater bodies – from small garden ponds to reservoirs and larger lakes, and from drains to canals and forest streams.

Many of Singapore’s parks have now been incorporated with water-bodies to provide habitats for aquatic fauna. Bishan Park has now a stream teeming with dragonflies, as shown in the video above by Tang Hung Bun. Filmed in early 2012, it was then newly created and the vegetation along the banks was regularly cleared. It was only after the vegetation regenerated back did the dragonflies appeared.

Even then only a few common species of dragonflies were present. The reddish male Common Scarlet (Crocothemis servilia) and the orangey male White-barred Duskhawk (Tholymis tillarga) can be seen fighting for territory along the stream (above). The females are less conspicuous because of their brownish colour. Instances of mating and oviposting can be seen.

Another video (above), filmed in the same year, shows the male White-barred Duskhawk fighting and ovipositing along the same stream. Most of this footage was taken at 120 fps and 240 fps. Only 3 seconds of it (01:12 to 01:15) was taken at normal speed (30 fps).

Tang Hung Bun
Singapore
February 2014

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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