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Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Priotyrannus closteroides (Thomson, 1877)

A quite common species that found in Indochina, they are high elevation forest insects that can be collected mainly by light trap. Small to medium size, the body covered with shining yellow hair.
Season of mature about May to July, they must be found in South China and Laos as well, they are not so common but locally there were not many individuals be observed. Male and female similar in shape.

Priotyrannus closteroides (Thomson, 1877), male

Aegosoma katsurai (Komiya, 2000)

The species was described based on holotype that collected from North Vietnam, recently they also found in Southern mountain forest of Vietnam and Laos as well. In publication by Do, 2015 of the genus, author proposed the species related to A. curnecornis from Myanmar because similar in structure of antenna. Evolution of two species of the group were proposed independent in Indochina area where separated from fauna of Indonesia-Malaysia lands.
They are medium size insects, male and female quite similar in shape. Southern individuals somehow larger than species found in North Vietnam.

Aegosoma katsurai (Komiya, 2000), male

Palaeomegopis lameerei Boppe, 1911

In Vietnam, there are only two species belong tribe Eurypodini. Not common as Eurypoda batesi Gahan, 1894; the species Palaeomegopis lameerei Boppe, 1911 somehow is rarer. They found in mountain forests from North Vietnam. It also be recorded in Laos and South China. Male and female of the species are quite similar in shape.
They are small medium insects the the color of almost individuals are black, somehow reddish in teneral forms.

Palaeomegopis lameerei Boppe, 1911, male

Dorysthenes walkeri (Waterhouse, 1840)

Dorysthenes walkeri (Waterhouse, 1840) is one of largest species of the genus Dorysthnes of Vietnamese fauna. It is quite common species with two long mandible. Black and shining body, the species really attractive in the collection. They are a wide distributed species and live in lowland areas.


Dorysthenes walkeri (Waterhouse, 1840), male

Vietetropis viridis Komiya, 1997

 Vietetropis viridis Komiya, 1997 is a remarkable species of Prioninae beetle from Indochina with colorful body. As name of the species, both male and female have metallic shining color, the male is metallic green while female is shining blue. In the paper, Komiya described the new species belong a new genus Vietetropis, until now, there is only one species of the genus has been known.

They are day-flying insects so it is impossible to collect them by light trap, the matures were found from pine forests at elevation about 700m. The species was described based on materials that collected from North Vietnam. The species also was recorded in Laos and south China.



 Vietetropis viridis Komiya, 1997, male



 Vietetropis viridis Komiya, 1997, female

Priotyrannus hueti Drumont, 2008

This species is one of two members of the genus that found from Vietnam. P. hueti was described from North of Vietnam by Alain Drumont in 2008 base on materials from Tam Dao National Park, Vinh Phuc Province.
It is medium large size, as compared to related species Priotyrannus closteroides (Thomson, 1877). The most remarkable characteristic of the species is a lobe on lateral side of pronotum on both male and female specimens.




Male of Priotyrannus hueti Drumont, 2008

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Protohermes grandis (Thunberg, 1781)

Protohermes grandis (Thunberg, 1781) is a colorful species of dobsolfly, belong to Megaloptera order. It is an aquatic insect that larvae live in the water, mainly clear streams. The mature with wings is attracted to the light. They are quite common species, found in Indochina, China, Taiwan and Japan.

A individual of Protohermes grandis (Thunberg, 1781) on the light trap sheet, Mau Son Mountain, elevation about 1500m 

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Casiphia (Raucocasiphia) takakuwai Komiya, 2009

A special species of Prioninae, Casiphia takakuwai is second member of the genus that found in Vietnam, the species is closed to related species C. vietnamica. Casiphia belong to tribe Anacolini of subfamily Prioninae with very particular antenna of male. The two species of the genus belong to subgenus Raucocasiphia and female of both species with simple antenna.
Not same to C. vietnamica, female of C. takakuwai colorful and there are 2 forms of males, black form and yellow/orange or red form. The characteristic for quick recognizing two species is apex of the elytra, in C. takakuwai the tips are point but round in C. vietnamica.
C. takakuwai only known in the location where the holotype of the species was found, Pu Mat National Park, Nghe An Province with elevation about 700m.
There is no much information about behavior of the beetles of Casiphia, however they are day flying insects and the males be attracted by some kind of  organic compose that released by female, the organic compose maybe similar to product as burning gasoline because the males of the genus also come to exhaust of machines/generators.

Male of Casiphia (Raucocasiphia) takakuwai - Black form

Male of Casiphia (Raucocasiphia) takakuwai - Yellow/orange or red form

Female of Casiphia (Raucocasiphia) takakuwai

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Aegolipton roubali Komiya, Drumont & Lorenc, 2012

Aegolipton roubali was described based on the materials collected from Vietnam and Laos.
The holotype was collected from Ngoc Linh, Kon Tum Province, South Center of Vietnam in 2010.
In Laos, this speces found in Dackchung and belong to Sekong Province.
Name of species to honor Mr. Viktor Roubal, University of Ulm (Germany)
Whole body of the species is covered with yellow-whitish hairs.

Male of Aegolipton roubali, specimen from Kon Tum Province

Monday, February 15, 2016

Dinoprionus cooperi Drumont & Do, 2015

A new species of longhorn beetle, Prioninae, Cerambycidae found from Indochina area, the new species was name after Dr. Bob Cooper in Army Malaria Institute. Dr. Cooper had co-worked with the second author of the species on Malaria mosquitoes in Vietnam for 5 years (2005-2010).
This is the second species of the genus has been described.


Dinoprionus cooperi Drumont & Do, 2015

Dr. Bob Cooper, feeding the mosquitoes by his blood