| 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. |