Giant Trapdoor Spider (Liphistius desultor)
Image Copyright สุธนัย ครุพานิช
Last Observed: December 2015 – Koh Chang
Observed By: สุธนัย ครุพานิช
The marvellous trapdoor spiders are a family of arichnids that have developed a supremely sneaky and effective system for trapping their prey.
They inhabit holes in the ground that are covered by a hinged lid that is attached to series of warning threads of web. When an unwitting victim disturbs one of these triggers the trapdoor spider leaps out with shocking speed – grabs its prey – and drops back into its hole to dine.
You’ve got to hand it to evolution, that’s a pretty good system! these spiders thrive in the forest environment of Koh Chang.
Lephistiidae Wikipedia
Image Copyright สุธนัย ครุพานิช
Image Copyright สุธนัย ครุพานิช
Image Copyright สุธนัย ครุพานิช
Crab Spider (Misumessus Oblongus)
Image Copyright สุธนัย ครุพานิช
Observed: December 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: สุธนัย ครุพานิช
The Crab Spider Misumessis Oblongus is a very small, almost transparent spider of the Thomasidae family.
Commonly members of this family live by ambush hunting in flowers.
crab spider collin hutton photography
Crab spiders Wikipedia
Other Koh Chang Archnids
Xenophrys Lekaguli
Image Copyright Parinya Pawangkhanant
Observed: December 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: Parinya Pawangkhanant
Xenophrys Lekaguli is a species of frog of the family megophryidae. It lives in only a very few habitats in Chantaburi, Sa Kaeo (and of course Trat) provinces in Thailand.
It favours rocky stream beds. It is named after Thai zoologist and conservationist Dr. Boonsong Lekagul.
Xenophrys lekaguli Wikipedia
Spotted narrow-mouthed frog (Kalophrynus interlineatus)
Observed: December 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: Parinya Pawangkhanant
The Spotted narrow-mouthed frog is an amphibian species native to Koh Chang and habitats across South and Southeast Asia.
Spotted narrow-mouthed frog Wikipedia
King Crow (Euploea phaenareta)
Image Copyright Loukpud Shinkhem
Image Copyright Loukpud Shinkhem
2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: Loukpud Shunkhem,
The King Crow is a butterfly with an amazing life cycle. It’s appearance changes constantly through its caterpillar stage culminating in the weird and striking final stage pictured.
Then the caterpillar turns into a pupa of a striking shiny gold colour.
And so when it emerges as a butterfly it is… brown-winged with white spots – a very respectable looking insect but not quite as bright as you would have expected.
There’s an excellent write up below.
King Crow Life History at Butterflycircle
A note on Instars
I keep reading about instars in relation to insect growth. Here’s what they are. Insects develop through a series of stages known as instars. Each instar usually culminates in the shedding of a layer of skin, and often, as in the case of the King Crow – by very dramatic changes in appearance.
Xenocatantops
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Observed: 2015, Koh Chang
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
This grasshopper found on Koh Chang is amember of the Genus Xenocatantops, species of which are found throughout central Africa and Southern Asia.
Xenoctatntops at orthoptera.speciesfile.org
Sagra Femorata
Observed: November 2015
Observed By: Coco Trilo
Sagrata felorata is a very beautiful small (20mm) beetle with a stunning iridescent blue-green colour. The species is widespread and is found across South and Southeast Asia.
The insects pictured are both males. The species exhibits a profound sexual dimorphism meaning that males and femals are very different in size and appearance – in this case the males are far larger and more brightly coloured.
Sagra Femorata Wikipedia
Lepidiota Stigma
Image: David Vinot
Observed: February 2015
Observed By: David Vinot
Lepidiota stigma is a small beetle found in koh Chang.
It is noteworthy because it is capable of producing the purest natural form of white colouring – at least according to the link below.
Lepidiota stigma nhm.ac.uk
Cosmophasis sp.
Image Copyright Jonathan Milnes
Observed: November 2015
Observed By: Jonathan Milnes
Cosmophasis is a genus of jumping spider found on Koh Chang that, as the name implies, gets around by extremely powerful and agile jumps.
They are small spiders of only a few millimetres length but have a bold and striking black and green-blue striped colouration. This one is a male, we’re not sure of the exact species, just the gender.
ID Navapol Komanasin
Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacasoma americanum)
Image Copyright Rinske Hackman
Observed: November 2015
Observed By: Rinske Hackman
The Eastern tent caterpillar is the juvenile form of the the lappet moth. It is covered in immensely long hairs that serve as protection from predators.
Upon hatching thes ecaterpillars gather together under a tent that they weave out of silk until they have grown to a stage where they can progress alone.
The Wikipedia entry is particularly informative about pretty much everything you could ever think of to ask about this animal.
Eastern tent caterpillar Wikipedia
