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

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

Rhinocypha seducta Hamalainen & Karube, 2001

Base on specimens that were collected from Bao Loc, Lam Dong Province, in 2001, Hamalainen and Karube described this species as a new for science. Now, their distribution was reported in many localities of high land in south of the country.

It is colorful and enigmatic species, a rare species but quite common locally. Males and females are similar but females are lightly duller. In males, the head is deep black with orange-red spots marking, the thorax dull black with dark orange-red strips on thorax on both dorsal and lateral sides. The fore wings are hyaline; each hind wing is hyaline with an apical iridescent spot. The abdomen is somehow elongate, dull black and unicolour.

The species lives in pristine or lightly disturbed forests on high lands of Southern Vietnam, where the temperature is not too high and they are very humid forests. The mature forms do not fly very far from their breeding sites, so they are not so active insects. Males of this species usually perch up above the water which is muddy streams. They fly up and down and spend most of the time for perching on leafs or branches of trees above the stream. They are very sensitive to temperature and humidity of environment. They usually perched very high up to the canopy, and they got down gradually as sunlight went directly to the surface of the forest. Hiding in deep shade of the forest, they got down and perched near the stream where the humidity high enough. But immediately, after the sun was covered by clouds, they flew up to the higher positions. Their territory is very narrow area but they some time have vivid courtship daces, the male try to protect his own territory by showing to his neighbour the golden flash spots of his hind wings and the action just little above the water surface.

Male, photographed by Cuong Do, Da Lat, Lam Dong

Face and thorax of male, photographed by Cuong Do, Da Lat, Lam Dong