Chlorocypha maxima Dijkstra, Kipping & Mézière, 2015

Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B., Kipping, Jens & Mézière, Nicolas, 2015, Sixty new dragonfly and damselfly species from Africa (Odonata), Odonatologica 44 (4), pp. 447-678 : 473-477

Chlorocypha maxima Dijkstra, Kipping & Mézière sp. nov. – Great Jewel (Type Photo 5, Photos 9-10, Fig. 2)

Taxonomy This species was initially identified as C. dahli Fraser, 1956 that is known with certainty only from the holotype in ZMUC from eastern Cameroon, but its character combination is unique compared with photographs of that specimen provided by N.P. Kristensen. It is also genetically notably distinct from other chlorocyphids.

Material studied

Holotype ♂. RMNH.INS.508083 , Gabon, Ngounie Province, Montagne de Chaillu, 21 km NE of Moukabou , small sandy stream in dense forest, 641 m a.s.l. (1.4816 ° S 11.8009 ° E), 18 -ix- 2013, leg. J. Kipping, RMNH .

Further material. GABON (Haut-Ogooué Province): 4 ♂, 33 km S of Franceville, Mopia, Bai on Djoumou River , large sandy river, 414 m a.s.l. (1.9219 ° S 13.6759 ° E), 11 -i- 2010, leg. K.- D.B. Dijkstra, N. Mézière & C.Vanappelghem, RMNH . 3 ♂, Bakoumba River between Bakoumba-Ville and -Village , sandy river in rainforest, 544 m a.s.l. (1.8576 ° S 13.0148 ° E), 02-i- - 2010, leg. K.- D.B. Dijkstra & N. Mézière, RMNH . 2 ♂, La Lékédi, Bakoumba , large sandy river in forest, 591 m a.s.l., (1.7594 ° S 12.9501 ° E), 30 -iv- - 2009, leg. C. Vanappelghem & N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂, Moanda , sandy forest stream (2–3 m wide), 423 m a.s.l. (1.5555 ° S 13.1195 ° E), 07-iii- 2010, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂, same locality, 28 -ii- 2010, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH. 1 ♂, forest road on right at exit of Moanda, Kounda , sandy stream (4 m wide, 50 cm deep), 423 m a.s.l. (1.5555 ° S 13.1195 ° E), 13 -xi- - 2010, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂, Etéké road, Yeno , sandy and gravelly forest stream, 527 m a.s.l. (1.5845 ° S 11.5093 ° E), 23 -iv- 2011, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂, les eaux claires, Bakoumba, small sandy/gravel river in forest (<2 m), 680m a.s.l. (1.6812 ° S 12.9018 ° E), 30 -iv- 2009, leg. C. Vanappelghem & N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂, Bakoumba road, Landébéngué , sandy forest river (4 m wide, 40–80 cm deep), 404 m a.s.l. (1.6234 ° S 13.1330 ° E), 17 -x- - 2010, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂, Moanda-Bakoumba road, Lemagna , sandy forest stream (2–3 m wide), 493 m a.s.l. (1.6132 ° S 13.0945 ° E), 26 - ii- 2011, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂, Bakoumba road, village 3 km before Kounda, Mikouangna (Mouyeugue) , sandy river (> 2 m wide), 520 m a.s.l. (1.5911 ° S 13.1552 ° E), 26 -v- 2009, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂, Bakoumba road, Kounda, Mbéressé, sandy forest river, partly open and sunny (3 m wide, 50–100 cm deep), 484 m a.s.l. (1.5859 ° S 13.1563 ° E), 06-x- 2012, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂, Konda, 11 km W of Moanda , sandy stream in dense forest, 423 m a.s.l. (1.5555 ° S 13.1195 ° E), 30 -i- 2012, leg. J. Kipping, CJKL .

1 ♂, Mopia , 428 m a.s.l. (1.9132 ° S, 13.6347 ° E), 01-ii- 2012, leg. A. Günther, CAGF . 1 ♂, Makokou, broad river with swamps, 494 m a.s.l. (0.5577 ° N 12.6141 ° E), 30 -xii- 2011, leg. N. Mézière, CAGF. GABON (Ngounie Province) : 1 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.508836 ), Parc National des Monts Birougou, sandy forest stream (4 m wide, 50 cm deep) ( Photo 10), 747 m a.s.l. (1.9655 ° S 12.2188 ° E), 05-ix- 2013, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH .

Genetics

Two unique haplotypes (n = 2) nearest to C. helenae Legrand, 1984 and highly distinct from other Chlorocypha species, although C. dahli was not available for analysis.

Male morphological diagnosis

Similar to C. dahli by its (a) largely bright occiput, postclypeus, genae and mandibular bases that contrast with the wholly black anteclypeus and labrum and largely black frons; (b) bright ante-humeral stripes that cover most of the mesepisterna; (c) red abdominal dorsum with black markings reduced to a pair of large subapical dots on S 2 and smaller pairs on S 3–4 and sometimes S 5–6 ( Fig. 2); and (d) boldly black and yellow abdomen underside. However, unlike it and most Chlorocypha has (1) large size, Hw 25.5 – 28.0 mm (n= 10) rather than 23.0 mm (n = 1); (2) olive-green rather than orange markings on the head and thorax; (3) blue-white apical 75–80 % of the anterior face of the hind tibiae and apical 0–30 % of the mid tibiae, rather than yellow-white apical 80 % of the front and mid tibiae; and (4) yellow dorsum of S 10 contrasting with red on S 2–9. Chlorocypha species often have white and sometimes yellow streaks on both the mid and hind tibiae, and sometimes on the fore tibiae as well, but both their presence and absence on only the hind pair is unusual, as is their apical rather than basal position.

Etymology

Latin “greatest” refers to the species’ exceptional size (feminine adjective).

Range and ecology

Calm sandy but often somewhat turbid (i.e., silty) streams in rainforest between 400 and 750 m a.s.l., especially in and around the Chaillu Mountains of southern Gabon.

Pentaphlebiidae