Family Libellulidae > Genus Tyriobapta

Tyriobapta laidlawi is a small dragonfly. A scarcer species of Borneo. A localized species confine to the lowland. This male Tyriobapta laidlawi was found in costal forest stream in Kuching, Sarawak.

Male is highly protect his territory from other males. This male Tyriobapta laidlawi is very territorial in doing his best to stake out a portion of slow moving stream.

To claim his territory, this Tyriobapta laidlawi had a few fixed exposed perches points from which he will stand guard. These points included a fallen dead tree trunk which he perch vertically on.

Two male (perhaps the same male) came at separate time. The chase was on. Both lock into physical combat facing each other stilled in the air a few inches apart. This male swing left and right non stop till his opponent gave up and left for a near by territory.

Slow moving mountain stream where this Tyriobapta laidlawi was found. The water of this stream eventually reach the south china sea about a kilometer away.

The 3 families of dragonflies found in Borneo Island:

1 Family of Aeshnidae

Insects are diverse and dominant inhabitants of the tropical rainforests in Borneo Island. New species are discovered too often. Entomologists are still struggling to cope with the documentation of tropical insect diversity.

Most of the common dragonflies in Sabah are red coloured, especially from the family Libellulidae. Some red pecies are even confused as same species, for example the three species of Genus Neurothemis.

Dragonflies and damselflies have large compound eyes that can see in all directions. When the compound eye is magnified several hundred times, each individual facet (ommatidium) is shown to be hexagonal in shape.

Female dragonflies have either one of the two method of depositing eggs from the abdomen:
1- using Ovipositor Structure
2- using Vulvar Lamina

Male do not have an ovipositor. Instead male dragonfly and damselfly have appendages.

GO FURTHER

FLORA

Fig trees of Sabah

Borneo has 150 species of wild fig trees. Most of them are found in forests of Sabah.

FISHERIES

Tiger Prawn Farms in Tawau

Prawn farming is a main commercial activities in Tawau. Spawners from Tawau are graded the best in Malaysia. For decades, Tawau has been exporting high-grade tiger prawns to several countries such as Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Egypt and Australia.