How to access the male genitalia of a dragonfly specimen?

Studying genitalia is a very importation work of odonatological research, dragonfly and damselfly are difference in structure of genitalia. Steps below will let you know how I do my analyzing of structure of penis organ of a male specimen of Gomphidae (Anisoptera, dragonfly) without damaging the specimen.

Specimens in my collection

Release the dried male specimen from envelope (zip bag)

 

Fix the specimen on a small foam board with insect pins

Transfer the specimen into a box

Prepare the hot water (left) and a syringe

 

Puming the hot water to second abdomen segment area without making other part be wet (about 2 or 3 times, up to how hard/dried specimen is)

Check the specimen if the second abdomen segment area already wet and flexible enough to access the penis organ.

Transfer specimen to larger foam board and fix the body, wings and abdomen

Move the specimen to microscope

Under microscopic view, dig out the penis organ of the dragonfly then fix it in visible position with insect pins

 

Tranfer the specimen in fix position into a box with silica-gel 

 

Cover the box and keep in dark area until the specimen to be hard.

Now your specimen are ready for take photo or drawing of detail structure of penis organ.

Some my completed figures of penis organ of Gomphidae for publication

Rhinocypha fulgipennis Guérin-Méneville, 1831

This species is a colorful wings damselfly that belong to Chlorocyphidae family, the genus name maybe because of its structure of the face with a object that is prominence forms a rhino face shape.

The small species is one of the most early species that was described as a new species for science from Vietnamese fauna of Odonata. The holotype was collected from South Vietnam with note as Cocochina area. Recently, this species has been found also from Cambodia and Laos.

They are very sensitive species that found near that clean running water (waterfalls, streams) of shadowed forests in low land areas. In a quick observation, this species is easy to misidentified with another common species, the species Rhinocypha fenestrella. However they are clearly difference in color and color marking of the wings.

Lateral view of male of Rhinocypha fulgipennis, 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.

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