Larry and I returned to the Singapore Botanic Garden tonight - and later Colleen, Bernard, Rebecca and her brother joined us. Larry and I wanted to watch the metamorphosis of a nymph dragonfly - and we were not disappointed. First this white fuzzy caterpillar
A wet white fuzzy caterpillar
Here is the nymph. These guys live in the pond for some time - and then emerge in the evening and complete the metamorphosis. Below is the sequence from beginning to end - about 90 min
Time 21:06:00 SGT
Time 21:13:05 SGT:- She was quite restless and here, walking around the lip of the lotus pond.
Time: 21:30:03 SGT: - Here she is finally attached to her final resting place - about 9:30 pm
Time: 22:25:17 SGT - The bulge to the left is the beginning of the emergence. See are the immature eyes and the abdomen
Time: 22:26:12 SGT - Here the eyes appear, though without much color and the legs have emerged. The white horizontal tubes may be some sort of umbilical thingy
Time: 22:26:35 SGT - As she leans back, the rear legs start popping out - the white blob just emerging from the nymph is part of the wing
Time: 22:26:48 SGT - Here a rear leg is extended
Time: 22:27:29 SGT - The immature (unfolded) wing has fully emerged
Time: 22:28:23 SGT - Here her rear leg is over the wing
Time: 22:33:04 SGT - Now all legs have emerged, the abdomen is emerging, more umbilical-like structures and two wings (crossed)
Time: 22:36:50 SGT - She is now inverted, the two wins are fully emerged and the abdomen is emerging.
Time: 22:38:01 SGT - Here the eye color is developing and you can see some of the vein structure in the small wings
Time: 22:42:39 SGT - After fully extracted, she next rights herself and continues the maturation process
Time: 22:44:57 SGT - Here the wings are unfolding and eye color is developing
Time: 22:46:72 SGT - Wings extending
Time: 22:47:07 SGT - More extension (compare with the end of her abdomen
Time: 22:51:13 SGT - The vein structure is clearly evident here
Time: 23:01:06 SGT - Now the wings are transparent
Time: 23:05:48 SGT - A closeup of the eyes and face. The matrix structure of the compound eye is evident
Time: 23:10:28 SGT - A better view of the compound eye
Time: 23:11:04 SGT - Last image
An adult sleeping near the pond
another view
A red adult dragonfly
Another view
And yet another view
Oops - not Cyrtarachne bufo near the lotus pond. I'll need to work on the identification. No web, just along strand
Frog eye
White lotus
Lotus
C. Frank Starmer