Night Walk At Riffle Range Trail (14 Sep 2018)

It has been a long while that I last went to Riffle Range Road for my night macro photography session, so I decided to go there for this week's session. Here's a photograph of a lovely Orange Leafhopper (Bothrogonia addita) which seemed to in abundance at the place.

The first beetle of the trip was a pleasant surprise - a Long Horned Beetle (Aeolesthes holosericeus) which I have not come across for a long while.

Near to the Long Horned Beetle was a small fallen log where this small 4 mm Ground Beetle (Pericalus tetrastigma) was running about on it.

As I walked along the Riffle Range Trail, I was greatly disappointed by the sights of the invasive Air Potato plants. Much of the trail were covered by the plant and many of the original vegetation were strangled or overtaken by the plant. From my past trips, I didn't find any critters feeding on it and neither did I find any beetles on them.

Here's a photograph of a leaf of an Air Potato plant. The Air Potato plants here were huge. I have placed a Singapore 1 dollar coin on the leaf to show its size. Sadly, many of the Air Potato plants here are of the same size as that in the photograph. Hoped NParks would do something about the Air Potato plants invasion in our nature parks.

Near to Ground Beetle was a small tree where this 5 mm Darkling Beetle was found.

Moving on, I was thrilled to find this 5 mm Hister Beetle. I rarely come across Hister Beetles on my many years of macro photography.

Coming to a patch of ginger plants, I was excited to find this first-time-encountered Ground Beetle.

There were many fallen trees at the place, and some of them were really huge. Interestingly, most of them were without critters, let alone beetles. As I scan through the various fallen trees, I was glad to find this two 1 mm Darkling Beetles on one of the fallen trees.

On the same tree was this 5 mm Fungus Beetle.

More walking without finding any beetles until I came to a small tree where this 3 mm Darkling Beetle was found.

On another tree nearby was this 12 mm first-time-encountered Darkling Beetle (Amarygmus metallicus). I particularly like the bronze coloration of its elytra.

More walking before finding this 3 mm Checkered Beetle resting on a small tree.

At the base of the tree was this Chafer Beetle resting on a dried leaf.

The last beetle for the trip was a Fungus Weevil (Stiboderes impressus) on a large fallen tree.

The number of beetles encountered on this trip was below expectation. Nevertheless, I am glad to be able to find two first-time-encountered beetles on this trip.

Night Walk At Admiralty Park (31 Aug 2018)

It has been more than 3 years that I last went to Admiralty Park. One of the main reasons for not going there was because of the red ants infestation (Morning Walk At Admiralty Park (21 Mar 2015)).

I happened to be on leave and so decided to go there for a walk since it is not so convenient for me to go there on a working day. Although it rained in the early afternoon, I decided to continue with my plan. Here's an interesting looking caterpillar encountered at the place.

As expected, the vegetation at the place were drenching wet, and so was my hope of finding any beetles for the trip. It was after a long while of walking before I came across this 5 mm Fungus Weevil (Eucorynus crassicornis) on a small tree. I am quite surprised to find it on a healthy tree as I usually find them on rotten logs or dying trees.

On another tree nearby was this small 3 mm Darkling Beetle.

More walking before finding this lone Chafer Beetle (Apogonia expeditionis) feasting on a leaf.

The highlight of the trip was the encounter with this lone 12 mm Tortoise-shell Beetle (Aspidimorpha miliaris) hiding under a leaf.

More walking without finding any beetles until coming to a small tree with this small 2 mm Darkling Beetle.

On the same tree was another 5 mm Darkling Beetle.

Moving further, I am happy to find this 4 mm Leaf Beetle on a  Clidemia hirta plant.

On a tree nearby was a 4 mm Darkling Beetle.

I was almost nearing the entrance to the park, when this Chafer Beetle was found on a low bush. At a cursory glance, the beetle looked like the Apogonia expeditionis  Chafer Beetle but upon closer look its body is much broader and flatter than that of the Apogonia expeditionis.

Although there were many fallen logs along the trail, majority of them do not have any critters on them. Coming to a fallen log near the entrance, I was thrilled to find this 20 mm False Click Beetle.

The last beetle for the trip was a pair of commonly encountered Chafer Beetle.

Although the weather was not ideal but I am glad that to still be able to find a number of beetles, especially the Tortoise-shell Beetle. Sadly, the place is still infested with the small red ants despite the place having undergone a massive renovation.