Prosopocoilus astacoides karubei Nagai, 2000

Prosopocoilus astacoides karubei Nagai,2000 was described based on materials that collected from Lam Dong Province, South Center of Vietnam. It is the second subspecies of the species found in Vietnam, other wide distribute subspecies is Prosopocoilus astacoides castaneus (Hope & Westwood, 1845), found in North of Vietnam and very common in Ha Giang Province. Not same to the subspecies Prosopocoilus astacoides karubei only found from type location, Prosopocoilus astacoides castaneus found also in Thailand, Myanmar, India and Laos, maybe also in South China.
The subspecies Prosopocoilus astacoides karubei Nagai,2000 named after Mr. Haruki Karube, Kanagawa Museum of Nature History, who is well known with his publication on dragonfly of South East Asia.

 
 Small male of Prosopocoilus astacoides karubei Nagai,2000 - photographed by Nguyen Ba Quang

Large male of Prosopocoilus astacoides karubei Nagai,2000 - Photographed by Nguyen Quang Thai

Trachyzulpha frushtorferi varia Gorochov, 2014

Trachyzulpha frushtorferia varia Gorochov, 2014 was original described based on materials that collected from Kon Tum Province, South Center of Vietnam. The holotype of the subspecies was collected from Kon Plong, Mang Canh with elevation about 1200m. It is the first time this subspecies was recorded from Bidoup, Lam Dong Province, South Center of Vietnam. It was attracted by light trap in the locality with elevation about 1650m. It is easy to understand about the distribution because of connection of two forest mountain areas in South Center of Vietnam.
Species of Trachyzulpha found in tropical forests in Indo-Malay area, the genus was described based on the species T. frushtorferia from Java, Indonesia. The latter second species was found from Tonkin, North Vietnam: T. annulifera. Today, Trachyzulpha frushtorferia was found from South China and South East Asia. In Vietnam, there only 2 species of the genus were recorded: T. frushtorferia and T. annulifera.
They are really beautiful and strange species of Grasshopper with the lichen mimic form, they fround in pristine tropical forest.

Trachyzulpha frushtorferia varia Gorochov, 2014 - photographed by Cuong Do, 2016 in Bidoup National Park, Lam Dong Province

Taeniodera cupreicollis (Bourgoin, 1924)

Taeniodera cupreicollis (Bourgoin, 1924) has been found only South Vietnam since it was described by Bourgoin in 1924 of the genus Macrontona. The type locality is Di Linh, Lam Dong Province. The species belong to T. egregia group. In Vietnam, there are 7 species of Taeniodera were recorded, and 4 of them are considered be endemic to the fauna of the country.

Taeniodera cupreicollis (Bourgoin, 1924) Photos taken by Do Thanh Cong

Sternocera aequisignata Saunders, 1866

Sternocera aequisignata Saunders, 1866 is a brighten metallic green  Buprestid beetle, the species was found in lowland, South Vietnam. The species with 3 other species Sternocera chrysis (Fabricius, 1775), Sternocera ruficornis Saunders, 1866 and Sternocera sternicornis (Linneus, 1758); have been found from Vietnam. Sternocera aequisignata is wide distribution among oriental area but not so common locally. There are 7 species of the genus were recorded from India to Indochina. Members of the genus mainly have 2 forms, red-brown and green wings.

Sternocera aequisignata Saunders, 1866  - series of photos taken by Nguyen Ba Quang

Poecilocoris latus Dallas, 1848

Poecilocoris latus Dallas, 1848, a beautiful bug and known as a pet of tea plantation. It is a member of Scutelluridae family, Hemiptera/Heteroptera order. Members of the family characteristic with well developed of scutellum and covered the rest part of the body make them be similar to a beetle. They usually very colorful with brighten sport and shining metallic color body. They are true bugs so they life cycle without pupa phrase (incomplete metabolism).

Immature form of Poecilocoris latus Dallas, 1848 - photos taken by Do Thanh Cong

Polyrhachis armata (Le Guillou, 1842)

Polyrhachis armata (Le Guillou, 1842) in an interesting spiny ant species, they found from South East Asia and South China. The species found in Indo-Australia region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines; Oriental region: Cambodia, India, Thailand; Palaearctic region: South China. The type locality of the species is Philippines. Syntype of the species now are deposited in British Museum of Nature History, London. In Vietnam, there has been 11 species of the genus were recorded and this is the 12th member, recorded the first time for Vietnam fauna by a photographers.

Polyrhachis armata (Le Guillou, 1842) - photo taken by Do Hung Tuan

Polyrhachis armata (Le Guillou, 1842) - photo taken by Bui Trong Hieu

Polyrhachis armata (Le Guillou, 1842) - photo taken by Nguyen Thanh Tuan

Polyrhachis armata (Le Guillou, 1842) - photo taken by Ta Thanh

Lucanus marazziozum Zilioli, 2012

The species Lucanus marazziozum Zilioli, 2012 was described based on materials that collected from Laos (Houa Phan Province, NE of Laos). Latterly, it also was recorded from North of Vietnam, Yen Bai Province. The species is quite close to L. formosus (a species that also found from North Vietnam, Sa Pa, Lao Cai Province) but difference in dorsal teguments glabrous and mandibles.

Male holotype and female paratype of Lucanus marazziozum Zilioli, 2012 (photo from original description).

Stichophthalma suffusa tonkiana Fruhstofer, 1901

The taxon Stichophthalma suffusa tonkiana Fruhstofer, 1901 is a very complicated history during its discovery. The type of the subspecies was found from Than Moi, Tonkin (in original description) = Than Muoi, Lang Son Province, North Vietnam. However today, Than Muoi Village maybe not been the habitat of the taxon anymore because deforestation in whole the lowland of the area. Now they also was found from Tam Dao National Park, Vinh Phuc Province.
The subspecies was described as a subspecies of Stichophthalma howqua, a species that with type found from Shang Hai, East China. The taxon suffusa was described as a subspecies of howqua in the original description by Leech, 1892. The publication of 2008 by Mornastyrskii and Deviatkin showed that suffusa with the type found from Omei Shan, China and howqua are distinguish species and they separated by dark pattern of  the hind wings on upper side. So the subspecies tonkiana that described by Fruhstofer in 1901 under the species S. howqua was moved to the species S. suffusa. However in the paper, authors also mentioned about further studies of subspecies level should be done in the future.
They are large size butterflies, and found in a good forests in North Vietnam, similar to other species of the genus, they are attracted by rotten fruits or animal dead body.

Stichophthalma suffusa tonkiana Fruhstofer, 1901 - upper side

Stichophthalma suffusa tonkiana Fruhstofer, 1901 - under side

Smerinthus szechuanus (Clark, 1938)

The species was described based on materials that collected from China, recently it was recorded also in North Vietnam.

Smerinthus szechuanus (Clark, 1938)

Megaloxantha bicolor porphyreus Hou & Wu, 1996

The species Megaloxantha bicolor is found from India to South East Asia and Australia. They are large size buprestid beetle. There are 13 subspecies of the species have been recorded. In Vietnam the subspecies Megaloxantha bicolor porphyreus Hou & Wu, 1996 was found from Bao Lam, Bao Loc, Lam Dong Province.

Megaloxantha bicolor porphyreus Hou & Wu, 1996