Caucasus Beetle (Chalcasoma caucasus)
Image Copyright 2011 David Hinchliffe
Last Observed: July 2011, Pearl Beach – Koh Chang
Observed By: Dave Hinchliffe
There’s something about Koh Chang that seems to attract the largest of any kind of animal. This is the case with the mighty Caucasus Beetle which is a member of the Rhinocerous beetle family. These huge creatures can actually fly, not very well, but getting all that weight off the ground is an achievement in itself.
The large horns are a feature of the male of the species and they use them in displays of beetle machismo to fight each other and impress the female of the species.
The individual pictured was over five inches in length.
Caucasus Beetle Wikipedia
Image Copyright 2011 David Hinchliffe
Image Copyright 2011 David Hinchliffe
Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas)
Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot
Last Observed: February 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Vinot, Iris Gerardi
The huge Atlas Moth is the second largest of the world’s moth species with the larger female of the species achieving a wingspan of up to 25cm. They are a reasonably common sight on koh Chang and have a very distinctive wing pattern.
Atlas Moth Wikipedia
Image Copyright Iris Gerardi
Adamson’s Rose (Byasa adamsoni)
Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot
Last Observed: February 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Vinot
The Adamson’s Rose is a Koh Chang native butterly that is a member of the Swallowtail butterfly family.
Adamson’s Rose Wikipedia
Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia)
Image Copyright 2012 David Hinchliffe
Last Observed: November 2012, Koh Chang
Observed By: Dave Hinchliffe
The Giant Leopard Moth is a large, pale coloured Koh Chang native moth with distinctive reddish brown or black spots.
Giant Leopard Moth Wikipedia
Image Copyright 2012 David Hinchliffe
Image Copyright 2012 David Hinchliffe
Crimson Dropwing (Trithemis aurora)
Crimson dropwing koh Chang-01
Last Observed: February 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Vinot
The Crimson Dropwing, also known as the Crimson Marsh Glider is a brilliantly-coloured memebr of the dragonfly family. Their four wings give them complete mastery of flight, including the ability to hover and even to fly backwards.
Crimson Dropwing Wikipedia
Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot
Katydid (Pseudophyllus hercules)
Image Copyright 2011 David Hinchliffe
Last Observed: November 2015 at Lonely Beach, Koh Chang
Observed By: David Newman, Tijl Adriaen, Dave Hinchliffe, Suthanai Krupanich
This huge insect is a master of disguise and is one of several Koh Chang jungle insects that protect themselves from predators by looking like leaves or twigs. As with many Koh Chang species it is the world’s largest example of the animal family, and it’s particularly surprising to find one of them crawling across your computer monitor.
Katydid Wikipedia
Image Copyright 2014 Tijl Adriean
Image Copyright 2014 Tijl Adriean
Image Copyright 2014 Tijl Adriean
Image Copyright 2011 David Hinchliffe
Image Copyright 2011 David Hinchliffe
Image Copyright 2011 David Hinchliffe
Image Copyright 2015 David Newman
Image Copyright 2015 David Newman
Image Copyright 2015 David Newman
Image Copyright Suthanai Krupanich
Giant Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Nephila Pelipes)
Image Copyright David Vinot
Last Observed: October 2015 – Koh Chang
Observations by By: Heli Pohjolainen, David Vinot, Tiger Maa, Dave Hinchliffe, Perry Stevens
This beautiful, but admittedly large and potentially scary spider is a common sight in the woodlands of Koh Chang. It builds huge and intricate webs and seldom if ever leaves them, waiting instead for lunch to fly into the trap.
If we could manufacture Golden Orb Web Spider silk, it would have a million uses; from parachutes, bullet-proof vests, lightweight clothing, seatbelts, light but strong ropes, as sutures in operations and artificial tendons and ligaments. The silk is almost as strong as Kevlar, the strongest man-made material which is drawn from concentrated sulphuric acid.
Giant Golden Orb Weaver Spider Wikipedia
Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot
Image Copyright Perry Stevens
Image Copyright 2015 Heli Pohjolainen
Image Copyright Perry Stevens
Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot
Image Copyright 2015 David Vinot
