Apart from butterflies and moths at Bukit Brown (see here), I also noticed other critters.
Grasshoppers and crickets seemed abundant on this cemetery grounds which are covered with wild weeds and grasses. Before I entering the main gate, I saw this tiny and cute critter - it may be a nymph of a cricket.
A slightly bigger one was found next to the tiny chap. Again, I am clueless about its identification.
With a pair of long antennae, this shot looks like a kind of cricket. 
A huge katydid was found perching on a twig along a shady and mosquitoes-infested trail. Look at the the long and big hind legs, we can imagine how powerful its leaps can be. 
I suppose this is a kind of digger wasp with a slender yellow section of its abdomen. It appeared to look for preys on the muddy ground. 
Another smaller St. Andrew Cross spider and its prey - look at how it crossed its eight legs to form a cross pattern.
Is this the same species as the above. ?
A cluster of large brown fungi was found on a decayed wood.
This is a kind of bracket fungus found next to the above brown fungi.
This small but colourful Ricaniid planthopper (Ricanula stigmatica) is rather common in wastelands and grasslands.
A slightly bigger one was found next to the tiny chap. Again, I am clueless about its identification.
I have shot this brown and weired looking monkey grasshopper before along forest fringes. It has very short antennae, a pair of strong hind legs and a stout-looking body frame. It appeared to be munching a blade of grass when I took this shot.
With a pair of long antennae, this shot looks like a kind of cricket. A huge katydid was found perching on a twig along a shady and mosquitoes-infested trail. Look at the the long and big hind legs, we can imagine how powerful its leaps can be. 
I suppose this is a kind of digger wasp with a slender yellow section of its abdomen. It appeared to look for preys on the muddy ground.
A St Andrew's Cross spider and its prey.
Another smaller St. Andrew Cross spider and its prey - look at how it crossed its eight legs to form a cross pattern.
The iridescence of the wings of this particular assassin bug is quite nice. In fact, there were quite a number of them along a short-cut trail that joining two tarred roads.
Is this the same species as the above. ?
I don't know what this small fly is. It has a pair of short scissors-like antennae and the lovely colours on the wings are attractive enough for me to take a few shots.
This is a common dragonfly - a male Orthetrum luzonicum basking in the sun.
I suppose this is the female.
This is a common dragonfly - a male Orthetrum luzonicum basking in the sun.I suppose this is the female.
A cluster of large brown fungi was found on a decayed wood.This is a kind of bracket fungus found next to the above brown fungi.This small but colourful Ricaniid planthopper (Ricanula stigmatica) is rather common in wastelands and grasslands.
On a particular spot, there were many wild yellow flowers like this. Collectively, they looked distinctively beautiful, standing up-right in the green sea of foliage - no wonder this grasshopper was attracted to it. 
How can these attractive wild ginger flowers swaying in the wind escape a photographer's attention ?
I am not a historian but I do feel that Bukit Brown is a very valuable and unique heritage site for our younger generations to reflect and learn from many of these pioneers who had contributed in one way or another to the early Chinese community. In addition, the epitaphs, the different kind of art forms found on the tombstones and the rituals are valuable records of our very early Chinese immigrants' culture. Let us keep and improve Bukit Brown for as long as we can - no matter how good a virtual object or replica is created, it can never be the same and as valuable as the real and authentic one.
How can these attractive wild ginger flowers swaying in the wind escape a photographer's attention ?
I am not a historian but I do feel that Bukit Brown is a very valuable and unique heritage site for our younger generations to reflect and learn from many of these pioneers who had contributed in one way or another to the early Chinese community. In addition, the epitaphs, the different kind of art forms found on the tombstones and the rituals are valuable records of our very early Chinese immigrants' culture. Let us keep and improve Bukit Brown for as long as we can - no matter how good a virtual object or replica is created, it can never be the same and as valuable as the real and authentic one. 
HiFederick,
ReplyDeleteI refer to the single yellow flower with the grasshopper. The flower is the Fernoon's Yellow Flag. It waves like a flag in the wind.
Thank you very much Si Guim.
ReplyDeleteHello.
ReplyDeleteThe wasp from the photo is a Mud-dauber, maybe Sceliphron sp. or some other genus. They use mud for nest construction.
From post: "On a particular spot, there were many wild yellow flowers like this. Collectively, they looked distinctively beautiful, standing up-right in the green sea of foliage - no wonder this grasshopper was attracted to it." [your photo]
ReplyDeleteThe small, 3-petalled yellow flower is Trimezia martinicensis (Martinique Yellow Walking Iris), family Iridaceae.
The plant's common name alludes to how aerial plantlets would form where the spent flowers are & weigh down the flower stalks. Upon touching the ground, these plantlets set root -- thus one of the ways that the plant propagates itself is by "walking".
In your photo, the petals are not fully unfurled. The 3 fleshy structures below the plant are unripe dehiscent fruit capsules that will ripen to brown & split open to disperse the seeds.
Photos & info for Trimezia martinicensis:
* Plant Observatory Sg: Photos
* Plants of the Eastern Caribbean (University of the West Indies): Photos
* Missouri Botanical Garden: Photo
* Walking or Traveling Iris (25 May 2009)
This rhizomatous clump-forming plant is native to the Caribbean (including Martinique), Venezuela, Brazil & Bolivia. The ones at Bukit Brown are naturalized populations descended from horticultural escapees that most likely originated from former kampungs in that area.
Note of Caution:
Trimezia martinicensis is very frequently confused with Trimezia steyermarkii & Neomarica longifolia in the horticultural world. These are 3 totally different species & aren't synonyms. They also look distinctly different from one another.
* Trimezia genus -- Solid-yellow flowers (lacking any blue/violet hues), round leaf axes (ie. the "stem" embedded within the leaves)
* Neomarica genus -- Blue/ violet or whitish flowers, flattish leaf axes
Between Trimezia martinicensis & T. steyermarkii, the latter is more commonly cultivated in present-day S'pore, probably because the latter's flowers appear more showy & ornamental (to the human eye).
Below are some distinguishing floral features of the 3 aforementioned species:-
* Trimezia martinicensis -- Flowers yellow, small, with pale brown markings around centre.
* Trimezia steyermarkii -- Flowers yellow, larger, with numerous brown spots at centre -- Sample photos: Plant Observatory Sg, Landscape Plants for South Florida.
* Neomarica longifolia -- Flowers large; sepals ("falls") long, white transitioning to yellow with brown stripes; petals ("standards") yellow with many brown stripes on inner side, distal end white with violet stripes or stipples & violet patch -- Sample photos at Brazil Plants: Pic1, Pic2; Other Neomarica spp. at Dave's Garden Portal.
From post: "Before I entering the main gate, I saw this tiny and cute critter - it may be a nymph of a cricket." [your photo]
ReplyDelete= Nymph of Conocephalus melaenus katydid. The adults are green-black in colour.
* Photos & info (Orthoptera Species File)
* Photo of adult (Siam Insect Zoo & Museum)
From post: "I have shot this brown and weired looking monkey grasshopper before along forest fringes." [your photo]
= Erianthus sp. (Monkey Grasshopper), yet to be identified/ described.
* Photo of specimen collected from Mandai Track 15
From post: "A huge katydid was found perching on a twig along a shady and mosquitoes-infested trail. Look at the the long and big hind legs" [your photo]
= Hexacentrus unicolor (female):
* Photos & info (Orthoptera Species File)
* Photo of male & female specimens collected at New Upper Changi Road
* Photo of nymph
Wow, Pat you are very knowledgeable. Many thanks for your elaborations ids.
ReplyDelete