Two Gomphids from Cat Tien

During my short stay in Cat Tien National Park I encountered only two species of Gomphidae. James Holden had seen one more species (a Burmagomphus), but clearly gomphids are thinly spread in this season. Maybe they are more common at other times. Ictinogomphus decoratus is a widespread species also known from southern Vietnam. I saw it a few times at the old fishponds. The other species also occurs over a wide range, from eastern India all the way to Laos, but to my knowledge had not been recorded before in Vietnam. This is Nychogomphus duaricus. A distinctive species with appendages somewhat similar to Phaenandrogomphus tonkinicus, but with very different colors, bot yellowish brown overall, but black and whitish. This species I saw repeatedly at the small garden pond at the lodge, but whether they also reproduce at the pond I cannot say. Both males and females were perching along the edge of the pond on bushes or weeds, is all. I did not see them anywhere else.

Nychogomphus duaricus, a distinctive species with its bicolored appendages. This is the male.

Appendages in close-up, lateral view

The facial pattern, with extensive yellow spots on the labrum.

The female, perched by the side of the pond

The male of Ictinogomphus decoratus, the second species of the genus I see in Vietnam. This is a widespread species known from a large area in South-East Asia, including the Philippines, China, Indonesia and nearby Laos.

Appendages in lateral view

And in dorsal view

And its facial pattern, including the interesting round yellow spot on the occiput.