Indonesia (2004)

Date of issue: November 5th, 2004
Name of issue: Flora & Fauna
Number of arachnid related stamps in issue: 2/8

Twice the same stamp with different values. Also worth nothing the giant centipede stamp (scolopendra).

Information from the postal services booklet (please note that the information about the animals may or may not be accurate, I am simply re-typing the information).

The issue of flora and fauna stamps is meant to remind us of the important role of Indonesia as the castodian of the most important safehouse of tropical biological diversity in the world. Conservation of biological diversity is not concerened solely with the preservation of plants and animals that provide useful service. Even more important, protecting biological diversity relates to the range of genetic material provided by Nature.

in 2004 the Directorate General of Post and Telecommunications issues a series of flora and fauna special stamps depicting three sorts medicinal plants, two kinds of arachnids* and an insect. At the same time PT Pos Indonesia (Persero) issues a set of first day covers bearing the same theme.

*Scolopendra subspinipes is not an arachnid (mistake from the booklet)

Heterometrus cyaneus (C.L. Koch, 836)

This kind of large scorpion is locally called ketonggeng (Javanese) or langgir/langir (Sundanese), 13cm in length, of which the exoskeleton is shiny brown or dark green. The lobster-like body is provided with a poisonous stinger on its tail. Like the legs, the tail has brownish red color. The stinger can go as far as its mouth when it pounces on its prey. Though the sting is not as dangerous as that of the scorpion from Africa, Middle East and Tropical America, still it can cause a severe hurt. The predator kills and eats spiders, insects, invertebrates and house lizards. The body is devided into head, chest and abdomen. The head and the chest are united to anchor a pair of jagged pincers and four pair of legs. The abdomen is flat but the tail is cylindric formed. It gets adult by the age of 2-3 years during which it sheds skin 8-9 times. It breeds once or twice a year and each time produces 20-35 young ones. The mother carries the weak young ones on her back. The scorpion is both nocturnal and cannibal. It kills and eats another scorpion which is shedding its skin or a male one after mating game. It is used to live in dark and damp places, in tunnels, wood crack, under heaps of woods, rocks and ruins. The species spread as far as from India to South East Asia.

Michel #: 2374
order: Scorpiones
family: Scorpionidae
Heterometrus cyaneus (C.L. Koch, 1836)

Michel #: 2379
order: Scorpiones
family: Scorpionidae
Heterometrus cyaneus (C.L. Koch, 1836)

Full Sheet:

Souvenir sheet:

 

FDC:

 

Information booklet:

 

 

 

Other stamps of this series: