Finally, Gynacantha saltatrix

I was for quite a while under the impression that the Gynacantha that I saw repeatedly last year at Huu Lien (apart from G. subinterrupta, which also occurs there) was G. saltatrix. Partly that was because it had been reported from Huu Lien before and I was influenced by the anticipation of seeing it there. However, Wen Chi-Yeh alerted me to the fact that the appendages did not fit that species properly. He also pointed me in the right direction, namely G. japonica. So, I was still waiting to see G. saltatrix. I finally ran into it on June 24 in northern Bac Kan Province, where several started hunting over a stream at dusk. I failed miserably in taking a proper photo of the male, so I went back on July 7 and 8 and on the 8th caught another male, for some proper pictures. This species has almost straight paraprocts and a longer epiproct relatively than G. japonica. In color pattern they are not dissimilar.

Female Gynacantha saltatrix

Male Gynacantha saltatrix, not dissimilar from G. japonica, but that species has less pronounced abdominal pattern

Appendages of male in dorsal view, with epiproct almost half of length of cerci

The same in ventral view. Note how straight the cerci are

And in lateral view

Male frons in dorsal view, with clear T mark

The same for female

Ovipositor in lateral view