Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2026-03-19
Page range: 555-573
Abstract views: 38
PDF downloaded: 0

Taxonomic study of morphology and distribution of Nannophya pygmaea Rambur, 1842 (Odonata: Libellulidae) with a discussion on the possibility of cryptic diversity and larval comparison of genera in subfamily Brachydiplacinae

Institute of Green and Sustainable; Thu Dau Mot University; 06 Tran Van On; Phu Loi ward; Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam
Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática; Instituto de Ecología A.C.; Xalapa 91073; Mexico
Singapore 560539.
The Center for Entomology & Parasitology Research; College of Medicine and Pharmacy; Duy Tan University; 120 Hoang Minh Thao; Lien Chieu; Da Nang; Vietnam
The Center for Entomology & Parasitology Research; College of Medicine and Pharmacy; Duy Tan University; 120 Hoang Minh Thao; Lien Chieu; Da Nang; Vietnam
The Center for Entomology & Parasitology Research; College of Medicine and Pharmacy; Duy Tan University; 120 Hoang Minh Thao; Lien Chieu; Da Nang; Vietnam; Institute of Green and Sustainable; Thu Dau Mot University; 06 Tran Van On; Phu Loi ward; Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam
Odonata Anisoptera dragonfly integrative taxonomy larva description Asia

Abstract

A description of the adult and last instar larva of Nannophya pygmaea Rambur, 1842 is presented, based on reared material from Vietnam and additional specimens obtained from Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Adult morphology of both sexes is documented to ensure accurate species confirmation and to demonstrate consistency with previously established diagnostic characters. Updated distributional data for Nannophya Rambur, 1842 in Asia are synthesized from verified field records, curated online biodiversity repositories (GBIF and iNaturalist), and published literature. Diagnostic comparisons of N. pygmaea with N. koreana Bae, 2020 as well as with other members of Brachydiplacine are provided. The taxonomic status and distribution of N. pygmaea are discussed. The essential baseline data for future systematic, biogeographic, and conservation studies are provided.

 

References

  1. Bae, Y.J., Yum, J.H., Kim, D.G., Suh, K.I. & Kang, J.H. (2020) Nannophya koreana sp. nov. (Odonata: Libellulidae): a new dragonfly species previously recognized in Korea as the endangered pygmy dragonfly Nannophya pygmaea Rambur. Journal of Species Research, 9 (1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.12651/JSR.2020.9.1.001
  2. Brauer, F. (1865) Dritter Bericht über die auf der Weltfahrt der kais. Fregatte Novara gesammelten Libellulinen. Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 15, 501–512. [in German]
  3. Brauer, F. (1868) Neue und wenig bekannte vom Herrn Doct. Semper gesammelte Odonaten. Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 18, 167–188. [in German]
  4. Brauer, F. (1878) Ueber einige neue Gattungen und Arten von Libelluliden und Aeschniden. Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe, 77 (1), 195–206. [in German]
  5. Butler, S.G. (2012) Description of the last instar larva of Brachydiplax farinosa Krüger, 1902 from Borneo (Anisoptera: Libellulidae). Odonatologica, 41 (3), 277–282.
  6. Bybee, S.M., Kalkman, V.J., Erickson, R.J., Frandsen, P.B., Breinholt, J.W., Suvorov, A., Dijkstra, K.-D.B., Cordero-Rivera, A., Skevington, J.H., Abbott, J.C., Sanchez Herrera, M., Lemmon, A.R., Lemmon, E.M. & Ware, J.L. (2021) Phylogeny and classification of Odonata using targeted genomics. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 160, 107115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107115
  7. Dow, R., Choong, C., Grinang, J., Lupiyaningdyah, P., Ngiam, R. & Kalkman, V. (2024) Checklist of the Odonata (Insecta) of Sundaland and Wallacea (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Timor Leste). Zootaxa, 5460 (1), 1–122. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5460.1.1
  8. Fleck, G. & Orr, A.G. (2006) Une larve du genre remarquable Nannophyopsis Lieftinck, 1935: importance pour la phylogénie de la famille (Insecta: Odonata: Anisoptera: Libellulidae). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, 107B, 1–10. [in French]
  9. Fraser, F.C. (1936) The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Odonata. Vol. III. Taylor & Francis, London, xii + 461 pp., 2 pls.
  10. GBIF.org (2025) Derived dataset: Filtered export of GBIF occurrence data. Available from: https://doi.org/10.15468/dd.mr37g8 (accessed 7 November 2025)
  11. Hämäläinen, M. & Müller, R.A. (1997) Synopsis of the Philippine Odonata, with lists of species recorded from forty islands. Odonatologica, 26 (3), 249–315.
  12. Ishida, K. (1996) Monograph of Odonata larvae in Japan. Hokkaido University Press, Sapporo, 446 pp.
  13. Kalkman, V.J., Babu, R., Bedjanič, M., Conniff, K., Gyeltshen, T., Khan, M.K., Subramanian, K.A., Zia, A. & Orr, A.G. (2020) Checklist of the dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata) of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Zootaxa, 4849 (1), 1–84. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4849.1.1
  14. Keetapithchayakul, T.S., Kim, J., Lam, N.B.V. & Phan, Q.T. (2025) Description of the larva of Anotogaster klossi Fraser, 1919 (Odonata: Cordulegastroidea, Cordulegastridae), with a note on the known larvae of the genus Anotogaster Selys, 1854. Zootaxa, 5632 (2), 349–363. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5632.2.8
  15. Kirby, W.F. (1889) A revision of the subfamily Libellulinae, with descriptions of new genera and species. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 12, 249–348, pls. 51–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1889.tb00016.x
  16. Kompier, T. (2015) Dragonflies and damselflies of Vietnam: photos and discussion on dragonflies and damselflies of Vietnam. Available at: https://odonatavietnam.blogspot.com/2015/05/ (accessed 17 November 2025)
  17. Kosterin, O.E. (2011) Odonata of the Cambodian coastal regions revisited beginning of dry season in 2010. International Dragonfly Fund – Report, 40 (2010), 1–108.
  18. Krüger, L. (1902) Die Odonaten von Sumatra. III. Theil. Familie Libelluliden. [1. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Odonaten von Sumatra]. Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung, 63, 116–140. [in German]
  19. Karube, H. (2020) Nannophya pygmaea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2020, e.T167187A83375872. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T167187A83375872.en (accessed 17 November 2025)
  20. Lahiri, A.R. (1987) Studies on the odonate fauna of Meghalaya. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Miscellaneous publication, Occasional paper No. 99, 1–402.
  21. Leach, W.E. (1815) Entomology. In: Brewester, D. (Ed.), The Edinburgh Encyclopedia. Vol. IX. Part I. Blackwood, Edinburgh, pp. 57–172.
  22. Lee, J.-E. & Jung, K.-S. (2012) Insect fauna of Korea. Vol. 4. No. 2. Arthropoda: Insecta: Odonata: Corduliidae, Macromiidae, Libellulidae – Dragonflies. National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, 82 pp.
  23. Lieftinck, M.A. (1933) A new genus and species of Libellulinae from western Borneo (Odonata). Sarawak Museum Journal, 4, 131–137, pls. 13–15.
  24. Lieftinck, M.A. (1935) New and little known Odonata of Oriental and Australian regions. Treubia, 15, 175–207.
  25. Mitra, T.R. (2006) Handbook of Common Indian Dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata). Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 124 pp.
  26. Navás, L. (1935) Névroptères et insectes voisins. Chine et pays environnants. Huitième série. Notes d’Entomologie Chinoise, 2, 85–103. [in French]
  27. Needham, J.G. (1930) A manual of the dragonflies of China. Zoologia Sinica, (A) 11 (1), i–xi, 1–344, 20 pls.
  28. Ngiam, R.W.J., Chan, J.P.S., Khoo, M.D.Y., Kong, E.Y.L. & Low, B.W. (2021) Description of the larva of Brachygonia oculata (Brauer, 1878) (Odonata: Libellulidae) with notes on rearing technique. Zootaxa, 4966 (5), 563–570. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4966.5.5
  29. Ngiam, R.W.J. & Ng, M.F.C. (2022) A photographic field guide to the dragonflies & damselflies of Singapore. John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford, 340 pp.
  30. Novelo-Gutierrez, R. & Sites, R.W. (2024) The Dragonfly Nymphs of Thailand (Odonata: Anisoptera): An identification Guide to Families and Genera. Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Cham, [xxi] + 501 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33712-3
  31. Orr, A.G. (2005) Dragonflies of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, 127 pp.
  32. Paulson, D., Schorr, M., Abbott, J., Bota-Sierra, C., Deliry, C., Dijkstra, K.-D. & Lozano, F. (Coords.) (2026) World Odonata List. OdonataCentral, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Available from: https://www.odonatacentral.org/app/#/wol/ (accessed 7 November 2025)
  33. Phan, Q.T., Hopkins, P., Junggon, K. & Keetapithchayakul, T.S. (2025) Updated distribution range for Nannophyopsis clara (Odonata: Libellulidae). Agrion, 29 (2), 35–39.
  34. Phan, Q.T. & Ngo, Q.P. (2023) An updated checklist of dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata) of Phu Quoc National Park, southern Vietnam. International Dragonfly Fund – Report, 175, 1–17.
  35. Rambur, P. (1842) Histoire naturelle des insectes. Neuroptères. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris, 17, 534. [in French]
  36. Steinmann, H. (1997) World catalogue of Odonata. Vol. II Anisoptera. De Gruyter, Berlin and New York, 650 pp. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110824438
  37. Theischinger, G. (2003) A new species of Nannophya Rambur from Australia (Odonata: Libellulidae). Linzer Biologische Beiträge, 35 (1), 661–666.
  38. Theischinger, G. (2020) Nannophya fenshami sp. nov., a tiny dragonfly from an artesian spring wetland in Queensland, Australia (Anisoptera: Libellulidae). Journal of the International Dragonfly Fund, 149, 1–10.
  39. Theischinger, G. & Endersby, I. (2009) Identification guide to the Australian Odonata. Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW, Sydney, 332 pp.
  40. Theischinger, G. & Endersby, I. (2014) Australian dragonfly (Odonata) larvae: descriptive history and identification. Memoirs of Museum Victoria, 72, 73–120. https://doi.org/10.24199/j.mmv.2014.72.06
  41. Tillyard, R.J. (1908) The dragonflies of south-western Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 32 (1907), 719–742, pls. 34–36. [1907] https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.19585
  42. Tillyard, R.J. & Fraser, F.C. (1940) A reclassification of the order Odonata. Based on some new interpretations of the venation of the dragonfly wing. Part III. Australian Zoologist, 9 (4), 359–396.
  43. Watson, M.C. (1956) The utilization of mandibular armature in taxonomic studies of anisopterous nymphs. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 81, 155–202.
  44. Yeh, W.C. & Lien, J.C. (1995) Proven distribution of Nannophyopsis clara in Taiwan and morphological description of the ultimate instar larva (Odonata: Libellulidae). Tombo, 38 (1–4), 24–26.
  45. Yokoi, N., Souphanthong, V. & Teramoto, T. (2020) Nannophya miyahatai sp. nov., a new dragonfly from Bolaven Plateau, southern Laos (Odonata: Libellulidae). Tombo, 62, 63–69.
  46. Zhang, H.M. (2019) Dragonflies and Damselflies of China. ChongQing University Press, Chong Qing, 1459 pp.

How to Cite

Nguyen, M.T., Novelo-Gutiérrez, R., Ngiam, R.W.J., Kim, J., Phan, Q.T. & Keetapithchayakul, T.S. (2026) Taxonomic study of morphology and distribution of Nannophya pygmaea Rambur, 1842 (Odonata: Libellulidae) with a discussion on the possibility of cryptic diversity and larval comparison of genera in subfamily Brachydiplacinae. Zootaxa, 5777 (3), 555–573. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5777.3.9