Labrogomphus torvus and Megalogomphus sommeri - more widespread

In November last year we found Labrogomphus torvus in Huu Lien and also in Huu Lien this May Megalogomphus sommeri. L. torvus was a new addition to the Vietnamese list and M. sommeri had been seen by Cuong in Cuc Phuong once. As far as I know, that was it. In the meantime Sebastien recognized L. torvus on photos from an unidentified gomphid from Tam Dao. I also ran into this species in northern Bac Kan Province in late June and early July, where it shared a shallow and 2 meter wide stream along an open agricultural area bordered on one side by degraded forest with Megalogomphus sommeri. Apparently both these large and powerful species have a wider distribution in northern Vietnam. They were both active during the hotter hours of the day, when few other gomphids were out and about. At other moments on the same days at least an additional 9 species visited the same stream (Burmagomphus vermicularis, Stylurus amicus, Asiagomphus auricolor, Lamelligomphus camelus, Merogomphus paviei, Macrogomphus guilinensis, Gomphidia kruegeri, Leptogomphus perforatus, Gomphidia abbotti).

Labrogomphus torvus, male, Bac Kan Province. See also earlier posts both in this blog and on Sebastien's.

Megalogomphus sommeri, widespread in southern China and also more widely distributed in Vietnam than paucity of records seemed to suggest.

The female of Megalogomphus sommeri

Facial pattern of the female

Two supercool additions to my list from Huu Lien

Saturday May 24 I drove to Huu Lien Nature Reserve. In the heat one of my tires blew out while I was parked along the road, presumably. It was quite a thing to replace the tire in the blazing sun, but the day made up for all that.

I had discussed with Sebastien the lack of Rhyothemis species in northern Vietnam. We always only see R. variegata. Nice, but there are other species out there, maybe. Indeed, today I ran into one. And not just once, I saw at least 6 males and 1 female. Rhyothemis plutonia. A marvelous species. I only managed some far away shots, but happy to at least have a record of them.

Rhyothemis plutonium, male

The same male, different pose

The second species I ran into when it was so hot that hardly any dragonflies were out and about. Along the stream in the half open area that once was (not so long ago) solid forest I noticed a massive dragonfly sitting. I took some far away shots before catching it for a few in-hand photos. This was Megalogomphus sommeri. Giant hooktail, what is in a name….

An awesome gomphid, Megalogomphus sommeri, male.

Same male in hand, allowing some close-ups

Appendages in dorsal view

Appendages in ventral view

And finally in lateral view, awesome, giant hooktail

Interesting detail of S7, hairy, and apical portion of S6, hairy