Tawau Hills Day 2
Tawau Hills 2015: [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 ]
After our first night in the wet trails, we couldn’t wait to explore the same trails in the day. The sun rose an hour earlier than in Singapore, and the morning dew provided a great opportunity for dew-ridden subjects. Unfortunately we couldn’t resist the late nights and only got into the trails when the dew had dried off. This day’s catch proved to be more than fruitful, with lantern bugs at eye level, weevils with window wiper antennae, amazingly beautiful shield bugs, blue ants and lots more! If you’re frothing at the mouth on seeing the bugs and can’t wait to photograph them, you should join the Borneo Bootcamp this coming June!
Lantern Bugging
Before breakfast, we were already up and checking on the trees where we saw some lantern bugs the night before. They were too high up to take decent pictures, but there was a chance that they would come to a lower height in the mornings. Now that we knew the host trees of some of them, it was much easier to locate them in our subsequent visits.
Lantern bug (Pyrops sidereus)
With a bit of luck, the 2 lantern bugs that we spotted the night before were nicely positioned at eye-level when we got to the trees!
Lantern bug (Pyrops sidereus)
The sun was coming down hard on us, and the lantern bugs were also busily moving about to keep themselves in the shade.
Lantern bug (Pyrops sidereus)
It wasn’t easy to find an angle with nice faraway backgrounds for creamy bokeh, but while they kept moving, there’s a chance!
Lantern bug (Pyrops sidereus)
And the chance finally came. To top if off, the yellow tip of the snout was lit by a bit of sunlight from behind.
Lantern bug (Pyrops sidereus)
Tried a little bit of wide angle photography to capture more of the environment.
Lizard (Agamidae)
While we took turns to shoot the lantern bugs, some agamids were spotted, but at a less friendly height.
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
A large katydid was spotted hiding within the little garden outside the toilet.
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
Probably about 4 inches long, as I had to remove the Raynox.
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
Also outside the toilet was this shield bug nymph. Absolutely stunning colours!
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
Unfortunately it kept walking about and I didn’t manage many nice shots of it.
Plant bug (Miridae?)
Finally got ourselves into the garden and got distracted again.
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
Apparently, the lantern bug had already climbed high up and “unshootable”, but we were treated to a shield bug laying eggs just a few meters away!
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
The patient mother lays her eggs in a very neat pattern.
Palm weevil (Cercidocerus sp.)
A black weevil got Dennis really excited near the gardens entrance, but it was this that got him going OMG OMG OMG OMG. I tend to imagine the antennae of this weevil to be window wipers! 🙂
Palm weevil (Cercidocerus sp.)
Another view of the funky antennae.
False click beetle (Eucnemidae)
There were several inconspicuous beetles.
False click beetle (Eucnemidae)
But still cute!
Jumping spider (Salticidae)
Some of the jumping spiders were more colourful.
Jumping spider (Salticidae)
And gave me the innocent doe-eyed look.
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
Went back to check on the shield bug, and she was still busy with her eggs.
Lizard beetle (Languriidae)
Saw a highly reflective lizard beetle.
Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
The lynx spiders here really look more interesting!
Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
Here’s a face shot of it while it was trying to balloon away.
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
While staring around, we found another shield bug nymph, like the one spotted outside the toilet!
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
Really flat, anterior view wasn’t that interesting.
Crab spider (Epidius sp.)
The rest found this male crab spider, and mistook it for a huntsman spider earlier.
Crab spider (Epidius sp.)
Close up on the eyes, and the exceptionally long pedipalps.
Jumping spider (Simaetha sp.)
From afar, I saw a purplish little dot swinging a golden “mouth piece”.
Jumping spider (Simaetha sp.)
Turned out to be one of the beautiful genera of jumping spiders that I had been looking for! The pictures don’t do it justice, you need to see the spider with your own eyes!
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae) with cordyceps fungus
We also found MANY dead shield bugs infected by cordyceps fungus. Most had cordyceps fungus of different shapes growing out from the abdomen. This was unique as it had 3 sticking out.
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae) with cordyceps fungus
This one was much thicker.
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae) with cordyceps fungus
The shield bug’s wings appear to be gone, revealing the colourful abdomen.
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae) with cordyceps fungus
Closer look on the blue-red stripes.
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae) with cordyceps fungus
Took shots of almost every angle that I could think of.
Huntsman spider (Heteropoda sp.)
There were many huntsman spiders on the tree trunks and even at the rest benches.
Trashline orb web spider (Cyclosa sp.)
Spot the spider!
Trashline orb web spider (Cyclosa sp.)
Closer look at the orb-weaver.
Trashline orb web spider (Cyclosa sp.)
Possibly C. bifida but could be anything else.
Ant (Formicidae) with cordyceps fungus
The shield bugs were not the only ones infected with cordyceps fungus.
Ant (Formicidae) with cordyceps fungus
Adjusted the angle of the branch a little, and a brighter background was achieved.
Wasp sharing a meal with ant
Another scene that attracted our attention! Gathering of 3 different predators, but the poor orthopteran was at the bottom of this food chain.
DSC_3421
There were lots of these ants around and they were ignored initially, until I noticed a slower moving one that looked… blue!
Golden blue ant (Polyrhachis sp.)
True enough, the abdomen was blue with a golden head and thorax.
Golden blue ant (Polyrhachis sp.)
Dorsal view shows the spines.
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
There were some katydid nymphs.
Assassin bug (Reduviidae)
We found this assassin bug devouring a winged ant on the bridge railings.
Assassin bug (Reduviidae)
There were limited angles but managed to get a lateral view.
Jumping spider (Simaetha sp.)
Found another Simaetha, this was slightly smaller!
Shield bug? (Pentatomidae?)
Looked dead, with the discoloured eyes.
Orb web spider (Neoscona sp.)
Many of the orb-weaving spiders were hiding in various dead leaves, coming out on their orb webs only at night.
Fish hook ant (Polyrhachis ypsilon)
Found several fish hook ants, but they were moving non-stop!
Fish hook ant (Polyrhachis ypsilon)
Traced one of them that paused for a while, long enough to take some record shots.
Fish hook ant (Polyrhachis ypsilon)
Dorsal view shows the petiole spines wider apart, compared to P. bihamata
Froghopper (Cercopidae)
Don’t see froghoppers much in Singapore, these were certainly more brightly coloured!
Froghopper (Cercopidae)
Better view of the wing venation.
Huntsman spider in fungus (Heteropoda sp.)
As we left the botanic gardens, a large huntsman spider engulfed in fungus was found dangling from a tree.
Huntsman spider in fungus (Heteropoda sp.)
Quite likely to be H. boiei.
Huntsman spider in fungus (Heteropoda sp.)
Wide-angle attempt with fill flash. Need to try a non-fisheye next time to avoid the distortion.
Leafhopper (Cicadellidae)
This leafhopper looked similar to the ones in Singapore, except for the white patches on the anterior region.
Leafhopper (Cicadellidae)
Would always shoot the tibial spines. 🙂
Derbid planthopper (Derbidae)
This derbid planthopper was plain looking, but broader than most that I’ve seen before.
Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
One of the many spiny stick insects.
Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
This had a cute little heart shape.
Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
Lateral view.
Planthopper (Penthicodes sp.)
Found this fulgorid planthopper off the trail, looks close to the one we see in Singapore but this was much darker, possibly faded.
Planthopper (Penthicodes sp.)
Dorsal view.
Stick insects (Phasmatodea)
Found a lovely pair of mating stick insects!
Lantern bug (Pyrops whiteheadi)
This lantern bug was found way above eye level, but with live view, I was able to get a record shot.
Beetle
Unidentified beetle.
Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
Probably the same species of stick insect as the mating pair earlier.
Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
Lateral view.
Long-legged sac spider (Miturgidae)
These spiders were commonly hiding under leaves.
Long-legged sac spider (Miturgidae)
Obviously a boy…
Long-legged sac spider (Miturgidae)
Closer look at the eye arrangement.
Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
The huntsman spiders were out in action in the night.
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
Several katydids were spotted, and this one was huge!
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
Dorsal view. Not sure if the black spot meant anything.
Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
Found the same lovely lynx spider that we saw in the day.
Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
Generally quite cooperative to get a quick shot of the eyes.
Cicada (Cicadidae)
Large cicada with greenish blue eyes. Couldn’t fit the frame even with Raynox 150.
Cicada (Cicadidae)
Full view of the cicada.
Cicada (Cicadidae)
And close up on the eyes!
Tree trunk spider (Nephilengys sp.)
This spider is typically found on tree trunk depressions.
Moss mantis nymph (Haania sp.)
A moss mantis nymph, the mossy patterns are not distinct yet.
Moss mantis nymph (Haania sp.)
Still a fascinating outline for a mantis!
Big-jawed spiders (Tetragnathidae)
Found this pair of tetragnathids mating under a leaf.
Big-jawed spiders (Tetragnathidae)
Lateral view shows the palpal organ inserted into the epigyne.
Centipede (Scolopendra)
Didn’t see many centipedes around, this one was relatively quiet.
Dwarf toad (Pelophryne sp.)
The usual sighting of frogs!
Dwarf toad (Pelophryne sp.)
Not sure of ID for this one though.
Orb web spider (Gibbaranea sp.)
Odd looking orb-weaver, first time seeing this genus.
Orb web spider (Eriovixia sp.)
One of the most common orb-weavers around! The males tend to be more colourful.
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
Saw this stunning katydid nymph, dorsal view does not do it justice.
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
The premature wings can be seen from the lateral view.
Five bar swordtail (Graphium antiphates)
Also saw a sleeping five bar swordtail!
Dead leaf grasshopper (Trigonopterygidae)
Dennis was particularly excited at spotting 4 different species of leaf-mimic grasshoppers. I only took photos of some as I was getting distracted by other creatures. 😛
Dead leaf grasshopper (Trigonopterygidae)
Here’s the brown morph.
Grasshopper (Caelifera)
Interesting colour combination of yellow and black.
Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys sp.)
Looks very much like Deroplatys but I’m not sure. The rest excitedly mistook it for a flower mantis until we had a closer look. Nevertheless, a beautiful specimen!
Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys sp.)
View of its back with the abdomen flipped over.
Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys sp.)
It didn’t stop moving, but it also meant that there were many different poses to shoot!
Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys sp.)
Kept walking and walking…
Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys sp.)
Stopped for a brief moment, and I quickly snapped a portrait.
Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys sp.)
View from below…
Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys sp.)
Pushing my luck as I took another portrait before letting it go back into hiding.
Orb web spider (Gibbaranea sp.)
Another sighting of this spider!
Orange huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
I was the last to shoot this orange huntsman spider, but missed it sharing a meal with a harvestman.
Orange huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
It disappeared into the forest litter, and took me very long to get it back out!
Orange huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
Really large and beautiful creature.
Orange huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
Close up on its eyes!
Cuckoo wasp (Loboscelidia sp.)
Shot one of this in Singapore recently, and lucky enough to see it again.
Cuckoo wasp (Loboscelidia sp.)
Lateral view.
Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
Stick insect nymph, much cuter than the giant spiky stuff. 😛
Green hawk moth (Daphnis sp.?)
Amber spotted this hawk moth at rest.
Green hawk moth (Daphnis sp.?)
Just happily dangling away.
Green hawk moth (Daphnis sp.?)
Catching a glimpse of the eyes from above.
Earwig (Dermaptera)
Long “fork” spotted on this earwig.
Huntsman spider (Sparassidae) or wall crab spider (Selenopidae)
Still confused over the family of this spider…
Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
Wrinkly looking shield bug. Wondering if the adults look very different.
Beetle
Interesting looking beetle, yet to find out what this is. Reminds me of some cerambycids that I’ve seen before.
Beetle
Lateral view.
Planthopper (Fulgoromorpha)
Inconspicuous planthopper, but quite a pretty one!
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
Lovely katydid “unflattened” itself.
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
Placed my flash behind to shine through the wings.
Planthopper nymph (Fulgoromorpha)
Bushy tailed planthopper nymph.
Planthopper nymph (Fulgoromorpha)
Challenging to get shots of the face, but always rewarding.
Orb web spider (Eriovixia sp.)
Quite a few of these male orb-weavers.
Beetles
Same beetle as above, but mating!
Beetles
Lateral view.
Darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae)
The tiny pimple-sized beetles that nobody wanted to shoot.
Darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae)
The green on this tenebrionid is striking, unlike those we see in Singapore.
Darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae)
Close up on the eyes.
Ground spider (Zodariidae)
Saw a few ground spiders resting on low-lying leaves.
Winged ant (Crematogaster sp.)
As we returned to the cabins, Amber and I stopped by the lamp posts to check out the bugs attracted to the light. This winged ant looked a little dead.
Winged ant (Crematogaster sp.)
Kow tow…
Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)
There were MANY mayflies!
Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)
And quite a few variations too.
Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)
Just decided to take shots of a few of them.
Nursery web spider (Pisauridae)
Once in a while, a spider crept up.
Nursery web spider (Pisauridae)
Just going to shoot everything I see!
Longhorn orb web spider (Macracantha arcuata)
Amber found this longhorn orb-weaver just opposite the lamp post.
Longhorn orb web spider (Macracantha arcuata)
Flipped the leaves over and managed some decent shots of this bizarre spider.
Longhorn orb web spider (Macracantha arcuata)
Closer view of the abdomen.
Derbid planthopper (Derbidae)
The lamp post had all sorts of bugs, this particular derbid had blue and red markings on the wings!
Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)
One of the things we look for in mayflies are these “cupcake” eyes!
Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)
Some “cupcakes” are narrow and tall.
Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)
They just looked ridiculously cute~
Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)
Last mayfly shot of the night!
Botanical Gardens
After the quick shoot, we proceeded to the canteen for breakfast where the staff told us that a Pyrops sultanus was spotted at eye level just that morning in the botanical gardens. We wasted no time in finishing our food to rush to the tree, but got distracted at the toilet… of all places!
We rested in the late afternoon and went to town to restock our groceries and have our dinner. Had extra rice in order to have the energy to last the night! =D
Night walk in the botanical gardens
Made special arrangements to enter the gardens at night, and it was littered with many interesting finds! Jeff and another staff joined us for this walk.
The mayflies kept me up til at least 2am while some of us crashed earlier. Hopefully I’d have enough energy to bug through the other 3 days!
The complete album for this day’s findings can be viewed on Flickr.
Remember to check out the other posts for this trip from the links below! If you are interested in the smaller wildlife of Borneo with the guide of an experienced macro photographer, check out the upcoming Borneo Bootcamp. It is not to be missed!
Tawau Hills 2015: [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 ]
