Camacinia gigantea (Brauer, 1867)

Identification Guide to Camacinia gigantea
the largest of the Libellulidae

♀50mm
body length = 50mm
hind wing = 48mm
wingspan = 100mm

Camacinia gigantea is the largest dragonfly in the Family Libellulidae.
Nannophya pygmaea is the smallest in the same family and in Borneo.
Anax panybeus is the largest dragonfly species in Borneo.

Found in Asia: Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam

Camacinia gigantea
Colour and pattern suggest a huge Neurothemis but habits very different. M hw 47-52 mm; similar to F but basal wing colouring pale and less extensive. Lowland ponds and lakes in open areas, especially along the landward margins of mangroves. Larvae probably semi-pelagic; of similar outline to Hydrobasileus croceus but more elongate and ab lacking dorsal spines and lateral spines on S8. Adults fly rapidly, sailing over long reaches of their habitat, perching infrequently. Widespread but rare in Indo-Australian tropics.

Camacinia gigantea is the largest of the Libellulidae (hw, 45-47 mm) and unmistakable by virtue of its extensive opaque brownish-red areas on the basal part of the wings. It is a splendid insect, at first suggestive of a very large Neurothemis. The coloration is fainter in teneral individuals and females. It is a widespread lowland species, in Borneo rarely encountered on lakes and in lagoons on the landward side of mangroves.

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.

MALE	FEMALE

Body length : 57mm Front wing span : 105mm Frong wing :50mm	50mm 100mm 49mm