Protosticta khaosoidaoensis Asahina, 1984

This species was described by Asahina from Thailand, the name of the species specifies the locality of holotype.

They are green brow and elongate damselflies with very slim typical abdomen. The head is dark green with shining emerald green compose eyes. The labrum is bright white make it quite remarkable in dark of the forest. The round prothorax is same colour to the labrum in both dorsal and lateral sides. Their synthorax is shining green in dorsal side but it change to red brownish with white or cream yellow marking on lateral sides.  Their wings are hyaline with dark pterostigma, length of the wing is shorter haft of the abdomen. Their legs are dust white brow. The abdomen is round, long and slim with the segments are shining black at apical and white cream at base except two last segments. They are short and thick; the basal one is dull black white the apical one is cream white. The anal appendages of male are black.

This species has the same size to Protosticta santoi but they are difference in color of the body and structure of anal appendages.

The species was found in cleaning running water in pristine forests and distribute from North to South of Vietnam. The larvae of this species usually hide under dead leafs of the water.

They fly in the dark of the forests but never fly far away their breeding sides. Some time they were found at vegetation under waterfalls of rocky mountain in very high humidity condition. They fly slowly above dark vegetation layer just over the ground surface of the forests.

Male of P. khaosoidaoensis, photographed by Cuong Do

Male of P. khaosoidaoensis with bend upward abdomen, photographed by Cuong Do

Teneral female of P. khaosoidaoensis, photographed by Cuong Do

Protosticta satoi (Asahina, 1997)

The first record of the species was made by Asahina in 1997. Based on a single female, which was collected from Tam Dao National Park, Asahina erected the new subspecies Protosticta khaosoidaoensis satoi. Later, in 2008, Van Tol studied specimens collected from Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh Province, Tam Dao National Park, Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam and compared them to Protosticta beaumonti Wilson 1997 dark form from Guangxi, China (Wilson & Reels 2003). Based on the material from Cuc Phuong National Park, he concluded that “satoi” is a distinct species, differing from the Thailand species, P. khaosoidaoensis. Van Tol believed it possible that specimens from Cuc Phuong, the female from Tam Dao (Asahina, June 1997) and P. beaumonti Wilson, March 1997 from Hong Kong might belong to the same species but elected to establish P. satoi as a distinct species. It is possible, and perhaps most likely, that the dark form P. beaumonti from Guangxi sensu Wilson & Reels 2003 is indeed distinct from P. beaumonti Wilson, 1997 and is synonymous with P. satoi (Asahina, 1997).

It is small size Protosticta damselfly with tiny body and dark colour. The head is black with dark green compose eyes. The prothorax is nearly entry cream white, while the synthorax is mostly shining green black except two cream white markings at the border next to the abdomen and below the hind wings. All of the basal segments of three legs are cream-white, the femurs as well as tibias are also cream-white but darker. The wings are hyaline, little bit more than or proximal haft of the abdomen, with dark brown pterostigmas. The abdomen is dark brown with cream yellow or white markings; the 9^th segment is cream white. The anal appendages are dark brown. Male and female of the species are quite similar.

They are found at clean, running streams in good forests of high mountain area, the elevation is about more than 700m. The flying forms usually live very near the breeding sites with high humidity. Similar to other members of the family, they are slow flying insects and hide in shade of the forests.

 
                           1                                                         2

 

                           3                                                        4

                        5                                                          6

                        7                                                          8

                           9                                                       10

                          11                                                     12

                  

                  13                                                         14

                         15                                                     16

                         17                                                       18

                         19                                                      20

                          21                                                     22

                        23                                                       24

                          24 close up

                         25                                                  25 close up  

Emerging of Protosticta satoi, photographed by Cuong Do, the processing happens at a forest stream in Tam Dao National Park, Vinh Phuc Province

Atrocalopteryx laosica Fraser, 1933

Species name is specified the locality of holotype which was recorded from Laos.

                                               

A large size damselfly, the body is shining metallic green. The legs are slim with long spin rows. In the sunlight, the body reflects from metallic red-green to blue-green in colour. Two pairs of wing always fold up above the abdomen; they are red-black and darker than those of Atrocalopteryx coomani. The abdomen is somehow flattened in dorsal-ventral side.

The mature forms fly at opened but clear streams with rich of oxygen on highlands of west-north of Vietnam. The damselflies usually appear from middle to the end of rain season with high humidity. They are not very active insects and often perch on vegetation near the water.

Male, photographed by Cuong Do, Lao Cai

Caliphaea confusa Hagen in Selys, 1859

This species was recorded the by Asahina from North Vietnamese forests in 1995. Dumon 2005, analysed the ITS and Ribosome gene area of members of Caloptera and the result showed that genome type of Caliphaea is not close to it of Noguchiphaea as their structure of their wing venation.

It is a small size calopterid damselfly. The synthorax is shining metallic green with yellowish marking, the abdomen is slim and shining metallic green with end segments usually are pruinose on dorsal side. Their wings are hyaline or amber hyaline, slightly petiolate at base and always are folded at rest; the pterostigma is always present.

They are rare species but common locally, live in pristine forests of Limestone Mountains in the North of Vietnam. Both male and female are weak flying and they usually rest on vegetations around their breeding sites. Larvae of the species live in clear, fast running streams with high concentrate of oxygen and covered by vegetation.

Male, photographed by Cuong Do, Hoang Lien National Park, Sa Pa, Lao Cai Province

Dysphaea gloriosa Fraser, 1938

They are similar in the size of D. basitincta, the body robust built and more colourful. Males of the species are deep black with dark orange marking on the thorax and the abdomen. The wings are narrow and long, their colour is amber hyaline and make the wings are brighten in sunlight. The wings usually are folded at rest; particularly they are sometime open as perching above the water. The females are less colourful than the males with their wings are more hyaline.

                               

Their habitats are similar to those of D. bastitincta but D. gloriosa is much more widespread in the country. They have been found at streams or rivers in open secondary forests or lowland areas. They do not live far from their breeding habitats and usually perch on vegetations around streams.

Male, photo taken by Cuong Do, Hoa Binh

Heliocypha biforata biforata (Selys, 1859)

Very similar to H. perforata, they are also black and cobalt-bluish marking damselflies. Their wings are narrow like H. perforata but the iridescent areas on the wings are broader. Males of the species are distinct by markings on the synthorax and the abdomen. The abdomen of male is stouter than it of H. perforata, with distinct blue markings on lateral side of each segment. Females have no valuable in identification of the species. Their habitats, territorial and courtship behaviours are very similar to it of H. perforata, but H. b. biforata prefer opened running waters. They are widespread species but distribute locally.

Young male, photographed by Cuong Do, Quang Binh

Thorax marking of full mature male, photographed by Cuong Do, Phu Yen

Heliocypha perforata perforata (Percheron, 1835)

The black and cobalt-blue damselflies, they are similar to H. biforata generally. The triangle on mesepisternum on synthorax is smaller than it of Aritocypha fenestrela and there is a pink marking on the posterior edge of prothorax as well as on two sides of the synthorax. Thorax and abdomen are marked with white cobalt-bluish at lateral view. The mid and hind legs of male are black with white tibia. Same to H. biforata, wings of H. p. perforata are narrow in comparing to A. fenestrella but the iridescent area on the wing of male is smaller than H. biforata. Blue markings on the abdomen of male are also good characteristics to separate this species to H. biforata. The colour of male changes in stronger after teneral stage. The female are less colourful, they are black with cream-bluish mark on thorax and smoky hyaline wing, and the external morphological characteristics of female have no value in identification of the species.

They live in swift and high concentrate of oxygen flowing waters in primitive forests or secondary forests. Male are active flying insects, their territory is around floating timbers or rocks on water surface while female usually perches on higher positions. They are not too common species but distribute nearly whole the country.

 Male with red parasites, photographed by Cuong Do, Huu Lien, Lang Son

Two males in flying dance, photographed by Cuong Do, Hu Lien, Lang Son

Rhinocypha watsoni Tol & Rozendaal, 1995

In 1995, Tol and Rozendaal described this species base on specimens collected from Bach Ma National Park, Thua Thien Hue Province. Recently, this species also were recorded in Khanh Hoa Province and it made their distribution had been known wider to the south of the country.

They are small damselflies, with nearly unicolour body. The head is dull black; the thorax is dark with red dark brown marking and yellow strip marking on lateral side of the synthorax. Legs of male are black, with white inner side tibia of middle legs. In male, fore wings are hyaline but hind wing hyaline with an iridescence area at tip. And in the iridescence area, there is a distinct apical metallic blue flash spot. Females are fader than males with dusk hyaline wings.

This damselfly was found in the centre to south of Vietnam in the forests on high mountains with elevation from 700 to more than 1000m. They are found next to shaded clean streams in pristine forests; usually share their habitat with D. cyanocephala. Particularly we found them in Hon Ba Nature Reserve, Khanh Hoa province as they were flying in the jungle at the coming out area of underground streams.

The damselfly is somehow active species, males usually perch middle or high above that water surface but they do not fly far from breeding sites, where are clean and swift flowing streams.

Male, photographed by Cuong Do, Bach Ma National Park, Thua Thien Hue