Malgassophlebia andzaba Dijkstra & 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 : 621-625

Malgassophlebia andzaba Dijkstra & Mézière sp. nov. – Redwater Leaftipper

(Type Photo 47, Photos 26, 61– 62, Fig. 29)

Taxonomy

Dijkstra (2007) reduced the genus Malgassophlebia Fraser, 1956 to two Madagascan and two African species, the widespread M. bispina Fraser, 1958 and Gabonese M. westfalli Legrand, 1986 . The current taxon is sympatric with both and seems nearest to M. westfalli , but its genetics and morphology are clearly distinct.

Material studied

Holotype ♂. RMNH.INS.508883 , Gabon, Haut-Ogooué Province, Batéké Plateau, Léconi Valley, Eaux Claires, Camps des Pygmés , sandy streams (1m and 4–5 m wide) at forest edge, 434 m a.s.l. (1.4549 ° S 14.1785 ° E), 30 - ix- 2013, leg. N. Mézière, J. Kipping & H. Krahnstöver, RMNH .

Further material. GABON (Haut-Ogooué Province): 1 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.508878 ), 3 ♀ ( RMNH.INS.508867 ), as holotype, RMNH . 1 ♀, same locality, 26 -x- 2013, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH. 1 ♀ ( RMNH.INS.508141 ), same locality, 29 -ix- 2013, leg. J. Kipping, CJKL . 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Bongoville-Léconi road, 5 km after Bongoville toward Léconi, Andzaba River, Ekala , sandy and swampy stream, 389 m a.s.l. (1.6319 ° S 13.8888 ° E), 28 -iii- 2010, leg. N. Mézière & J. Renoult, RMNH . 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Bongoville-Léconi road after Ekala, old village of Boubou , stream (2 m wide) with gravel bottom, 393 m a.s.l. (1.6114 ° S 13.9105 ° E), 07-ii- 2010, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♀, Franceville- Akieni road, near Oyou , sandy forest stream, 452 m a.s.l. (1.3539 ° S 13.7766 ° E), 22 -ix- 2014, leg. J. Kipping, CJKL . GABON (Ogooué-Ivindo Province): 1 ♀, Okondja-Makokou road, 5 km SE of Bakouaka , sandy forest stream, 531 m a.s.l. (0.1298 ° N 13.6772 ° E), 23 -ix- 2014, leg. J. Kipping, CJKL .

Genetics Three unique haplotypes (n = 4) are very distinct but nearest to M. westfalli and M. bispina .

Male morphological diagnosis

Nearest sympatric M. westfalli by (a) the dark brown to black rather than yellow pronotal hindlobe; (b) the triangular rather than quadrangular Fw discoidal cell, i.e., the sector of the arculus joins it at its distal corner rather than about halfway along the anterior vein; (c) at least partly two rows of cells in the Fw discoidal field proximal to the node, rather than entirely one row from base to beyond node; (d) 6–10 cells in the anal loop, rather than only 3–4; (e) the gradually curved rather than abruptly subapically bent hamule; and (f) the terminally expanded and truncated cerci in lateral view ( Fig. 29). However, has (1) slightly smaller size, Hw 25.0–26.0 mm (n = 3) rather than 27.0–29.0 mm (n= 5); (2) the black on the labium not expanded laterally of the central lobe; (3) a pale brown rather than black occipital triangle, base of vertex and base of frons; (4) 6–7 cells in the anal loop, not 9–10; (5) the apical border of the genital lobe pointed and smooth, instead of broadly rounded bearing 3–6 denticles ( Fig. 29); (6) the dorsal carina of S 4–8 yellowish brown rather than black; (7) the abdomen barely expanded and widest on S 7, with S 8 longer than wide, instead of distinctly clubbed and widest on S 8, which is wider than long; (8) the cerci lacking a small ventral process at mid-length, well-separated rather than closely apposed in middle, truncated rather than pointed in dorsal view, and bearing an internal spine at their apex; and (9) a narrower epiproct whose base is eclipsed by the cerci in dorsal view and whose apical cleft and tips are triangular rather than rounded ( Fig. 29).

Etymology

The name means ‘red water’ to the Batéké people of Gabon, alluding to the colour of the streams that flow off the sandy plateau they and the new species inhabit (noun in apposition).

Range and ecology

Only known from streams in gallery forest between 350 and 450 m a.s.l. on and at the foot of the Batéké Plateau in south-eastern Gabon, where perches high on leaves or twigs. Found more easily while resting in shady spots on the forest edge. By contrast, M. westfalli is found flying rapidly along the stream banks in rainforest.