A long-legged fly resting on a mossy tree trunk by the Venus Drive trail. These dainty little flies dwell in moist microhabitats such as the vicinity of forest streams, mangroves and freshwater swamps, and thus serve as bioindicators of habitats in good health. The large eyes probably aid in both flight as well as detection of food (some prey on other insects while others feed on nectar). Their grubs are semi-aquatic, living in mud or wet soil, and feed on other insect larvae. Art spotted this fly, and more trivia on their genitalia and other priapic details can be read here.
Another animal that likes to stick itself on tree trunks is the colugo or so-called flying lemur. So I guess it's appropriate to plug here Norman Lim's new book on these gliding ghosts of Sundaland's lowland forests. A goodly number still survive in Singapore, despite the threat of occasional bastards who deserve to have a durian pushed up their rectums.
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