Two new species for Xuan Son

*Post updated 15 November 2025. The genus Planaeschna has been synonymized with Aeschnophlebia. Also, Kompier et al. (2021) treated the Vietnamese Planaeschna [Aeschnophlebia] species in detail. Names below are adjusted accordingly between square brackets [].

23 November I drove to Xuan Son, yet again, in search of Planaeschna [Aeschnophlebia] species. Sadly, the weather was not as good as hoped. It only become clear from 4 PM, way too late. But I did see some Planaeschna [ishigakiana] guentherpetersi and I also bumped into two species I had not seen at Xuan Son before. The first was Gynacantha japonica. I had seen that at Huu Lien, until now the only location in Vietnam, but evidently it is more widespread. I saw 3 flying around over a dried out muddy pond and was able to catch one. At the same location I had seen G. subinterrupta before, so it was a bit of a surprise to now catch a different species here. The other new species for the reserve was Anisopleura qingyuanensis. Not only a rather late observation, this was also interesting, because these are conspicuous insects and I have by now visited the area and the concerned stream so many times, it is truly a surprise to see it.

Very nice male Gynacantha japonica

And also very nice, male Anisopleura qingyuanensis. In fact more yellow than it looks in this picture.

The appendages in dorsal view