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Sunday 13 April 2014

Night Walk At Venus Drive (11 Apr 2014)

My original plan for the night was to go back to the location where I found the interesting looking fungus with the well camouflaged beetles and take some good closeup photographs of the beetles. When I reached Venus Drive, the place looked like it just had a pretty heavy rain as the place was very wet. In order not to waste the trip in not finding or finding only a few beetles like last week, I decided to stick to my usual route for the night.

The first beetle for the trip was a Darkling Beetle (Strongylium erythrocephalum).  It was a good start for this trip as it has been a while that I last encountered this beetle. I was thrilled to be able to finding this beetle especially after a heavy rain.


The next beetle was about a 5 minutes walk from the Darkling Beetle and it turned out to be a first-time-encountered 5 mm Leaf Beetle.


Moving to a fallen log near to the clearing, I found this small 4 mm Fungus Beetle.


I was a little concerned as between the fallen log and the clearing, not a single beetle was found. My heart sank when I reached the clearing as all the fallen logs at the clearing were covered by creeper plants, I was pretty amazed by the speed at which the creepers grew as most of the creepers were dead during the dry weather. I didn't expect the creepers to be able to recover so quickly.

On a log at the clearing, I found several several of this type of beetle (Martinezostes sp.).


On the same log was a commonly encountered Darkling Beetle.


A large group of this Fungus beetle was found on another fallen log. It is wonderful to see such a large number of them as it is a sure sign that things are back to normal.


On the same log was another Fungus Beetle (Eumorphus quadriguttatus). The number of encounter with this type of beetle seemed to be increasing. How wonderful!


On a tree nearby was this lone 2 mm Fungus Beetle. It was easy to spot it given the bright orangy-red color over a dark background.


Clinging to  a stalk of leaf was this commonly encountered Chafer beetle (Apogonia expeditionis).


On a log deeper into the clearing were a dozen of this Fungus Weevil. Interesting to find so many of them on one log.


On the same log was this female Fungus Weevil (Anthribus wallacei). This particular beetle was so hyperactive that I need to continuously track it through the view-finder in order to take some proper photographs.


I found that the clearing area to be the place to find this lovely type of Ground Beetle (Catascopus dalbertisi).


While photographing the Ground Beetle, I accidentally photographed this first-time-encountered Rove beetle.


Hiding in a depression of lichen, a 2 mm  first-time-encountered Flea Leaf Beetle was found.


On the side of a fallen log was this large 20 mm Darkling beetle (Promethis valga).


Still at clearing, my eyes were attracted to a brownish colored oject on a leaf, and it turned out to be a Tiger Beetle (Cicindela aurulenta).


Since the time that I found the white color Ladybird Beetle at Venus Drive, I would without fail try to look out for it each time I am there. For this trip I was rewarded with this relative calm specimen that allowed me to photograph it without flying away.


On another fallen log was this small 3 mm shiny beetle.


On the other end of the same log was this shiny jet black Ground Beetle.


Searching around the clearing, I was so thrilled to find this Fungus Beetle (Eumorphus assamenis). This type of beetle seemed to have disappeared during the dry spell.


A surprise find was this Long Horned Beetle (Aeolesthes holosericeus) resting on an air potato leaf.


Leaving the clearing, I found a Ground Beetle (Coptodera marginata) on the side of a tree.


By the side of the path was this Ground Beetle (Onypterygia longispinis). This type of beetle is usually easily spooked, but this particular specimen remained absolutely still for me to photograph. This is probably due to the earlier rain, and the impending thunderstorm.


At the base of a tree was this 8 mm black beetle.


On a plant near by was this small 5 mm Fungus Beetle (Amblyopus vittatus). It was hyperactive and moved about quickly on the leaf.


I was intending to walk to the "snow tree" to see what beetles I can find. Just before I reached the location, I found another tree that is even more "productive" than the "snow tree". On the tree there were a number of different beetles.

The first one that cause my eyes was a 4 mm first-time-encounter Checkered Beetle.


Next to a Ground Beetle (Coptodera marginata) was a tiny (~ 1 mm) first-time-encountered Click Beetle.


In a nearby crevice higher up the tree was another first-time-encountered beetle. From the photograph I am not able to tell if it is a Click Beetle or Fungus Beetle.


Crawling at the base of the tree was a Long Horned Beetle (Thranius bimachulatus).


Pacing up and down the tree was this Flat Bark Beetle (Catogenus rufus).  So glad to find this beetle as it has been a long time I last encounter across it.


High up on the tree was another Ground Beetle (Pericalus figuratus).


Resting motionlessly nearby the Ground Beetle was a Fungus Weevil (Anthribus wallacei). It is a male Anthribus wallacei as can be seen from its extra long antennae.


Near to the Fungus Weevil was a small 5 mm Fungus Weevil.


The highlight of the trip was finding this beautiful Long Horned Beetle (Anacylus griseatus) on the same tree.


At the base of the tree was a first-time-encountered Weevil Beetle.


Near to the Weevil Beetle was a small black beetle.


On another part of the tree was another yet-to-be identified beetle.


On the tree was a lovely colored Fungus Weevil (Stiboderes impressus).


The next beetle was a well camouflaged Weevil Beetle.


The tree was full of different beetles but the place was also full of mosquitoes. I was bitten all over and decided to call it a day. The last beetle that I found on the tree was this Ground Beetle (Minuthodes multisetosa).


Despite the earlier rain, the trip was exceptionally fruitful due to the "discovery" of "snow tree 2". Guessed that there will be more trips to this place in time to come.

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