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.

 
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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