In a recent paper a new species of Rhipidolestes was described, R. yangbingi, (D.A.L. DAVIES 1998, Odonatologica 27(1); 105-109),This curious species from west China was named after its discoverer, Mr Yang Bing. Some discussion included in that paper about the meaning of the name Rhipidolestes, a genus defined by F. RIS, (1912, Supplta ent. 1: 44-85) proves to have been misleading and we now provide the correct interpretation. The possible meaning(s) offered for Rhipidoin an appropriate dictionary were (a), Gr. rhipis-, rhipidos= dim; or (b), Gr. rhiphidion = a fan: or (c), Gr. rhipe = flight, sweep or swing. As the specimen(s) destined for the new genus were given to Ris by H. Sauter, a well-known collector in East Asia, option (c) seemed unlikely as the specimens will have been dead and a description related to some behavioural feature unlikely. As no fan-like pattern was obvious from a cursory examination, ‘dim’ was chosen but with meagre support, in that the species was rather dull coloured.