Vestalis gracilis

There are quite a few species of Calopterygidae damsels in Vietnam. One of the commoner ones is Vestalis gracilis, which I encountered regularly around Ba Be National Park (in July), where it could be found along all sorts of moderately swift streams. The only other place where I have seen it is in Cuc Phuong National Park (in August), where I checked many streams, but only saw one female and one male in a small stream passing under the road in the middle of the park. Fresh individuals are bright green on the thorax and abdomen, but become brown and grey with aging.

Vestalis gracilis, female, from Cuc Phuong

Vestalis gracilis, male, from Cuc Phuong

Appendages in close-up of above male

Older male from Ba Be

Another older male from Ba Be

And another younger male from Ba Be