Megalestes micans and Megalestes haui

*Adjusted 21 January 2020. Megalestes distans records all refer to M. haui. All entries have been adjusted.

Until now I have seen only two species of Megalestes in northern Vietnam. In April Megalestes micans at Sa Pa and M. haui at Ba Vi National Park. The trip around northern Vietnam brought some new records. Megalestes haui proved common along some streams in Pia Oac Nature Reserve, occurring sometimes in quite high densities, with 20 or so on a 150 m stretch of stream. Megalestes micans was still common and easily found in the Sa Pa region in early July. The one off was a male Megalestes haui at Sa Pa, occurring right by Megalestes micans. Apart from the differences in the appendages, they can also be told apart by the pattern of the prothorax. Megalestes micans has a yellow central line from the anterior lobe right to the posterior lobe. This can easily be seen with binoculars. It is necessary to check the appendages of M. haui carefully because of the possibility of M. distans, but I have not had the pleasure of being able to verify that species yet.

Male Megalestes haui, with dark prothorax (and of course different appendages)

Male Megalestes micans, showing the yellow line over the prothorax

Another, showing the same characteristic

And a third, for whoever was not convinced yet