Paracercion calamorum dyeri (Fraser, 1919)

Van Long Nature Reserve is located 90 km south of Hanoi. It is a wetland surrounded by rugged limestone mountains. The place is home to a good number of interesting bird species and also the Delacour's Langur, a primate critically endangered (250 left). Most of the photos below were taken there.

P. malayanum (left) and P. calamorum, 2 professional Lily-squatters.

Paracercion calamorum male adult develop a pale pruinose blue color on the legs, the head, the thorax, extending a little bit on the first two-three abdominal segments. The abdomen is black and S8-9-10 are blue. Notice also the amber eyes.

I often spotted the male lying flat on floating debris or aquatic vegetation, especially waterlily. Its English name - Dusky Lily-squatter - fits like a glove. 

A close-up of the head of a male showing the pale violet mouth and the stunning amber eyes.

An immature male found in shrubs. 
Curiously, I haven't spot males in intermediate stage - i.e. slightly pruinosed.

I spotted few females, all of them hidden from view in the surrounding shrubbery. They come to the open water only to mate.

 A female.

Another one.

The mature female have bronze blackish dorsum of synthorax marked with light streaks. She show also lower half of thorax pruinose pale blue.

I spotted many teneral individuals perched on the rocks surrounding the marsh - here a female.

A tandem pair. 

The female oviposited onto floating vegetation, for exemple characean algae (pic below).

A male Paracercion calamorum caught by a female Ischnura senegalensis. 

After 20 seconds, the poor guy was properly decapitated...

Paracercion calamorum has a range that extends from southern far-eastern Russia to Japan, and to India and Indonesia. The nominate subspecies (P. c. calamorum) is known from central and eastern China, Korea and Japan. The subspecies P. c. dyeri occurs in southern China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam (Laos, Cambodia?). 

Apart Van Long marsh, I encountered Paracercion calamorum in small ponds, along sluggish streams. Although widespread, this species is not common and seems to need rather good water quality.

Waterlilies after the rain.

Van Long Nature Reserve