Two other cool Gomphids on July 23

The gomphids of Ba Be encountered on the 23rd of July have been the topic of the recent posts and we have not come to the end of them! The same stream that produced Gomphidia kruegeri and Melligomphus sp. also had the following two Gomphidae.

The first is a common species, not particularly restricted to the prettiest streams. I also encountered it amongst the rice fields near Cuc Phuong, emerging from a ditch, and near Tam Dao. But it is a marvelous creature, this Paragomphus capricornis. The females have similar thorax pattern and the large abdominal rings.

Paragomphus capricornis, male

The other species is somewhat reminiscent of the North American Spiderlegs, because of its extremely long hind legs. This is the only time I saw it, so I do not know how common it is, but it is a widely spread species in Southeast Asia and called Merogomphus paviei.

Talk about disproportional legs! Merogomphus paviei, male

Close-up of thorax and head

Ventral view of appendages