My third Vestalaria species in Vietnam: V. vinnula

In September last year I visited the mountains west of Da Nang close to the Laotian border and one of the objectives was Vestalaria vinnula, which had been recorded there by Toan previously. Interestingly on the stream where it was supposed to occur I found the very similarly looking V. miao. This is not to say that V. vinnula there had been a misidentification. I have seen the specimens and the identity is beyond doubt. Apparently in a different season a different Vestalaria inhabits the same stream. Very interesting. But I was of course also disappointed.

But when in December we visited Lam Dong Province near Da Lat one of the few damselfly species around was in fact Vestalaria vinnula (co-occurring there with similar looking Mnais mneme, a species that has pterostigmata and thus is easily separated from Vestalaria species upon a closer look). Here a few photos from V. vinnula. This species has longer inferior appendages, unlike V. miao, in which the inferiors are very much reduced. The shape of both the superiors and inferiors is much like those of V. smaragdina from the northern mountains and difficult to separate on the basis of these even on close inspection, but unlike V. smaragdina and very much like V. miao, V. vinnula has darkened crescents along the wingtips. The combination of long inferiors and dark crescents help easily establish its identity.

V. vinnula was described from the Lam Dong Province and subsequently also found further north, near Nha Trang, and, as indicated above, also occurs west of Da Nang. Given its widespread occurrence and the close proximity of some of the locations where it has been seen to the Lao PDR, it is probably not endemic to Vietnam. Apparently is survives well into December and it is thus conceivable it can be observed year round.

Vestalaria vinnula male. Note the darkened crescents on the wing apex and the in this photo just visible obvious lower appendage.

Appendages in lateral view. In this way it cannot be separated from V. smaragdina (on ventral or dorsal view it can, but not with ease), but the combination with the wing pattern helps clinch the ID.

Another male, this specimen with some pruinosity on the ventral side, very much like hyaline-winged Mnais mneme, which lacks the dark crescents and has dark pterostigmata.

Finally Atrocalopteryx laosica

On June 24 I decided to check out the Cat Cat Touristic Area at Sa Pa as a last resort measure to find Atrocalopteryx laosica. The Sa Pa area is the only site for the species known from Vietnam and although I searched a lot in the area, I had yet failed to find it. But this day was a very dark and cloudy, rainy day to start with and I decided that the Cat Cat area might at least show some new habitat and who knows, a nice stream. This proved just right. At the bottom of the touristic area there is in fact a very nice broad stream bordered by a paved, but almost unused, trail. Following it the weather cleared just a bit and just when I was thinking it was not to be, I noticed a male A. laosica perched on plants along a small stream coming of the hills. It was also the only specimen I saw there, but one is enough. Clearly this is not only a limited distribution species, it is also a low density one.

Atrocalopteryx laosica was transfered to the genus Atrocalopteryx by Matti Hamalainen in 2014, from Calopteryx.

Atrocalopteryx laosica, male, at Sa Pa. Note the lighter bases and tips to the wings, plus the marginally darker sub apical band.

Another shot of the same, beautiful, specimen

And briefly held, to get a shot of the open wings.

12 April, Melinh Field Station

April 12 was a beautiful day and I headed to Tam Dao to check raptor migration. Nothing flew, so very disappointing. Apart from a lone Chlorogomphus that is, exciting to know they are around already. But without birds, I decided to try Melinh. In a recent publication, Natalia von Ellenrieder et al. mention some interesting species from this area, but I had never been there. So I tried to go and stumbled onto the place without much difficulty. It has basically one major stream that runs through secondary forest and I followed it for quite a bit. Euphaea guerini was probably the commonest species. It is not all that common really, with Xuan Son providing good numbers, but elsewhere it is rare. Here is was common, followed by Mnais mneme, another nice species. And yet another reminder of Xuan Son was Prodasineura croconota, which I know also from Huu Lien. The commonest dragon was Orthetrum sabina, and for once I took some pictures of it. Other interesting species were Protosticta "grandis", a single female, Orolestes selysi, and Mortonagrion aborense, although that species by now is known to occur widely. The only gomphid was Ictinigomphus pertinax. Here are a few photos.

Brachydiplax chalybea flavovittata, a single male on a grassy pond

Handsome Prodasineura croconota, now also known to be widespread

Not a good picture, but it will do, I guess. Mnais mneme, orange-winged male

And because it was too common to ignore: male Orthetrum sabina

It's a male's world (but it would be nothing without females)

Hanging around Pia Oac on April 4 and 5 I bumped into several interesting females that I would like to share here. Plus one interesting copula.

This here is the female of Mnais andersoni, by virtue of its association with a bundle of males

This is a copula of Ischnura carpentieri. The andromorph female it not common at all

Female Trithemis festiva, much more difficult to find than the male

Ovipositing female Anax nigrofasciatus

A different female A. nigrofasciatus, caught hunting over the road on the mountain

Female of Orthetrum triangulare with less clearly marked thorax compared to O. glaucum and dark tip to abdomen

March 28, first trip to Xuan Son of the season

The weather forecast said that west of Hanoi might be sunny in the afternoon, so I decided to drive to Xuan Son today. As is often the case, the forecast was wrong, so a cloudy day. Nevertheless I encountered at least some goodies, although nothing unexpected. Euphaea masoni was already very common and E. guerini was out and about too. In the damselfly department Mnais mneme was common too, and I saw the first Pseudagrion pruinosum of the season. Orolestes selysi was also present in decent numbers at the "Gynacantha puddle".
I was really hoping to see Nihonogomphus schorri, which had been omnipresent in April last year. Cloudy circumstances made it impossible to judge whether it is already common in March, but I saw one male briefly. A first female Macromia flew by. Could not verify the species though, shame. And at the "Gynacantha puddle" a few Cratilla lineata and quite a few adult or semi-adult Gynacantha subinterrupta were huddled in the bushes. All in all not at all bad, given the time of the year and the weather.

Not the best of photos, but anyway, Nihonogomphus schorri, as soon as the sun showed itself, no matter how short.

Female Rhinocypha perforata, quite common

And the male of Rhinocypha perforata. See the lateral thorax pattern. It is the same as in the female, although the forum is very different.

Neurobasis chinensis is a common damsel, but also very pretty, especially when it displays the top side of the hindwing.

The female of Neurobasis chinensis, with the typical double white dot.

Euphaea masoni already very common. This specimen kind enough to keep its wings open, displaying the typical translucent base and tip in the forewing and the reddish brown luster to the inside of the wings.

But the outside is dark blueish

Mnais mneme male, this one already pruinose on the thorax, a feature missing in Mnais andersoni.

The female of Mnais mneme, specimen with reddish veins

Immature (and already missing a pair of legs) Mnais mneme. When there is no pruinosity on the thorax it can be separated from Mnais andersoni through the structure of the penile organ.

Gynacantha subinterrupta with its typical abdominal pattern of oblique light bands. This individual almost adult, but the thorax still not fully green and the face still whitish.

Face of the same individual, showing cream white, not yet yellow.

Different male, this one with yellow face and green thorax, fully mature

Jewels of forest streams!

Xuan Son National Park is a great place for Calopterygids. October 26 was as good as expected, with many Matrona basilaris, Matrona taoi and Atrocaloperyx coomani. I decided to take pictures of the females. These are all similar in that they have large whitish pterostigmata, but when you know them they are not difficult to identify. Matrona taoi is decidedly reddish brown, which is especially conspicuous in flight. Matrona basilaris is brownish, but if it opens its wings these are dark brown with milky bases, in a pattern similar to the male. Atrocalopteryx coomani has hyaline wing bases.

Female Matrona taoi, with its typical reddish brown wings

Matrona basilaris female with brown wings

And female Atrocalopteryx coomani, showing translucent wings

Huu Lien - still a treasure trove*

*Updated after publication of Paracercion ambiguum

On October 19 I was all day at Huu Lien and as we know I ran into beautiful Coeliccia galbina. Thus it was a memorable day. Most other goodies were there too. On the gomphid front Labrogomhus torvus was still flying. Not surprising, as we saw it into December last year. Ceriagrion nipponicum, Vestalaria miao, Atrocalopteryx atrocyana and A. auco (the newly described endemic), Paracercion ambiguum, Prodasineura croconota, Gynacantha japonica and many more. Here are a few additional photos.

Price for rarity is likely deserved by Atrocalopteryx auco. Although its brother A. atrocyana is common all over Huu Lien, I saw only a single male of this species.

But what I did not expect was a great many Prodasineura croconota still flying. Last year I had not seen them and only discovered them in spring this year. But apparently I just overlooked them last autumn. Quite a few tandems were active. This is of course a female.

And this a tandem, with the exquisite male easily identified

Just like last year, Gynacantha japonica was active at dusk, hawking over the paddies. Until now I have not found this species anywhere else. This is a male.

These are the distinctive appendages in ventral view, about 4 times the length of the epiproct

Recognizable by the almost absent lower appendages and the brown crescent along the wing tips: male Vestalaria miao.

And there he is! The Paracercion ambiguum. As usual common along the stream from the reservoir.

Pia Oac in October - continued

I had a fascinating day at Xuan Son this weekend, with a plethora of Planaeschnids. That is a mixed blessing, as writing up is going to be a headache. So first a few goodies from Pia Oac on October 18. Amongst the few damsels that I saw while looking for Aeshnids I took photos of a few.

First to show is this wonderful male Ceriagrion fallax, a common species at this altitude, but always beautiful and more so with the bit of moisture clinging to it.

Then I was lucky enough to bump into a copula of Noguchiphaea yoshikoae. No idea what the function of the horns is on their prothorax. In close-up they run parallel to the male paraprocts holding her, but apparently without interaction.

And finally this well mature female of Ischnura carpentieri.

Looking for Aeshnids

After last weekend in Pia Oac and the not-quite Planaeschna tomokunii, I decided to see if I could find a male. I woke up to a bright and sunny Pia Oac on Saturday morning and soon caught another male Planaeschna tamdaoensis, but from that moment my luck changed. Although I saw quite a few Aeshnids on this in the end rather cloudy day, I failed miserably with the net and did not catch any. Especially bothersome, because some certainly were not P. tamdaoensis, not likely P. cf. tomokunii for that matter. I did get a few better shots of Vestalaria smaragdina this time, and my first andromorph female Ischnura carpentieri, when I spotted what looked like a male ovipositing. Of course in this genus this is not uncommon, but whether or not it is also common in this species I do not know. Otherwise the birding was relatively good, with a large flock of Grey-headed Parrotbill, a new species for me, and pretty dandy Golden Parrotbills in another good flock.

Sunday I went to Tam Dao, to find the real Planeaschna tomokunii, but I did not see anything really, although I was happy to take photos of female Megalestes haui and it was good to see Coeliccia scutellum. This is a common species, but I had been spending relatively little time in places where they occur this summer, so it was good to meet again. Otherwise this day was enlivened with a flock of 24 Crested Serpent Eagles lifting off from a small hill in the plain to start their day's migration.

Female Ischnura carpentieri eating a bug after ovipositing

The male for comparison, note the brighter pterostigmata (amongst others)

Megalestes haui male from Pia Oac

Megalestes haui female from Tam Dao, above the village

Yes, I know, this is a dragonfly page and it is a shitty photo, but hey, recognizable, Grey-headed Parrotbill

Male Vestalaria smaragdina. Note the long inferior appendages and unmarked wings.

Male Noguchiphaea yoshikoae, also from Pia Oac, showing for instance the apical dark spot on the front wing

An amber-winged female of Vestalaria smaragdina. Note the lack of horns on the prothorax. 

Male Coeliccia scutellum, having just dropped the bug it was eating (now on the leaf between the legs)