Dragonfly Stamps

2003 China Taiwan, Pond Dragonflies 


Date of Issue:
25 July, 2003
Designer:
Chen Yi-Ming 
Size:
29 x 37 mm / 37 x 29 mm
Perforation:
12.5
Printing Process:
deep-etch offset 
Format:
Sheet of 20
Miniature Sheetlet of 4 designs
Printer:
China Color Printing Co., Inc.

 
Face V.
Design
Quantity
5 y
Sympetrum eroticum ardens
N/A
5 y
Acisoma panorpoides panorpoides
N/A
10 y
Anax parthenope julius
N/A
17 y
Rhyothemis variegata arria 
N/A
Miniature sheetlet
N/A

The Stamps

To foster understanding and concern for dragonflies, these jewels of Taiwan biology, among the people of Taiwan, the Chunghwa Post has asked Dr. LienJih-ching of the Department of Health's National Institute of Preventive Medicine and Mr.Yeh Wen-chi of the Council of Agriculture's Taiwan Forestry Research Institute to plan another set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet on the topic of still-water dragonflies. The designs of the stamps follow: 

(1) Sympetrum eroticum ardens (McLachlan): Adult males have white faces and a pair of bin black polka dots that are joined together close to the top of their heads. Their compound eyes are dark red on the back sides and light green in the front. They have dark brown thoraxes with black stripes and red abdomens. There is a black marking on the side of the third to the tenth segments of their abdomens. They have transparent wings and black feet. They inhabit ponds or large lakes in areas below 1,000 meters in central and northern Taiwan. They are sometimes found in areas near rice paddies. 

(2) Acisoma panorpoides panorpoides(Rambur): Adult males have light blue compound eyes and light blue bodies with irregular black markings. The first to the fifth segments of their abdomens are bigger and shaped like spindles, and the black markings on the back sides in each segment join together to form a black line. They are mainly found in ponds or shallow swamps in the plains or lower-altitude areas. They like to perch on short bushes beside ponds or on water plants. They seldom fly higher than the top of the bushes surrounding the body of water. 

(3) Anax parthenope julius (Brauer): Adults have light yellow faces and there is a black horizontal line across the back of their heads with a light blue edge. They have green compound eyes and green thoraxes. The back sides of the first to second segment of their abdomens are one-third green and two-thirds light blue. The rest of the back of the abdomen is dark brown. There is a light yellow belt on the side of the abdomen. They have transparent wings. They are mainly found in the natural ponds or irrigation ponds in the zone from the plains to the mid-altitude mountains.

(4) Rhyothemis variegata arria (Drury): Their wings have obvious black and yellow markings similar to nymphalidae butterflies. This makes them unique among dragonflies of Taiwan, and they are often called butterfly dragonflies. The upper lips, upper foreheads and the tops of the heads of adult males have a bronze luster and the rest of their heads are yellow brown. They have black brown bodies with a bronze luster. The surfaces of their thoraxes arc full of light-colored fine hair. Their abdomens are slender and long like sharp nails. The tips of the abdomens of adult females are obtuse and so do not resemble nails. They mainly inhabit ponds or shallow swamps in the plains or low-altitude areas. They are sometimes found in rice paddies. 


The Stamp Sheet

The Miniature Sheetlet

The FDC

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