World's 'largest' dragonfly caught at varsity

KUCHING: A dragonfly caught at the new permanent campus site of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) is believed to be the world’s largest living dragonfly found. 

Measuring 95mm in body length, 163mm in wingspan and 80mm in hind wing length, the dragonfly was caught accidentally in a light trap intended for moths at the campus site two years ago. 

Unimas’ Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation Assoc Prof Dr Dennis Hill said it was only identified recently as a specimen of the Bornean dragonfly, Tetracanthagyna plagiata. 

UNIQUE: The dragonfly is preserved at the university's insect museum.

It was, he said, bigger than the recorded world’s largest living dragonfly found in Brunei by an Australian researcher, which measured 110mm in body length, 145mm in wing span and 67mm in hind wing length.  

Dragonflies live for only a few weeks, he added. 

The preserved dragonfly is now on display at the Unimas insect museum in Kota Samarahan.