Rhinocypha arguta* and Heliocypha perforata

Xuan Son National Park is home to at least 4 species of Jewels. One of the targets for going there however was Rhinocypha arguta, a reddish Jewel of shallow forest streams with gravel bottoms. Apparently a late season species I was happy to find it was relatively abundant in its choice habitat, where I saw many scores of them. The stream where I found it was heavily vegetated with large emergents and the species commonly sat on the leaves.

* See also the blog entry on R. huai and the drusilla group of Rhinocypha.

Rhinocypha arguta, male

Another male, slighly more orangy

An immature male, with stigmata still largely whitish and colours still dull

Rhinocypha arguta, female, with prominent yellow horizontal streak on thorax, like male

And a copula

Nearby the dam connecting Coi and Lap villages there were also many specimens of Heliocypha perforata, a species I already introduced. Here I use the opportunity to also publish the female, which has a relatively striking thorax pattern.

Another copula, this time of Heliocypha perforata

Heliocypha perforata, male

Heliocypha perforata, female, with longitudinal stripe on abdomen and antehumeral stripe with parallel stripe over side of thorax on mesepimeron