Epipleoneura ottoi Pessacq

Pessacq, Pablo, 2014, Synopsis of Epipleoneura (Zygoptera, Coenagrionidae, “ Protoneuridae ”), with emphasis on its Brazilian species, Zootaxa 3872 (3), pp. 201-234 : 225-226

Epipleoneura ottoi Pessacq , sp. n.

( Figs. 3 , 42 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, Brazil, Goiás State, Sao Bartolomeu river (40 km from Paraiso, about 14º03’39”S, 47º16’09”W), N.D. Santos, L.F. Netto & H. Mesquita, 15 ii 1981. One paratype ♂ same data as holotype. Two paratype ♂, same as holotype except 60 km from Paraiso.

Male holotype. Head. Dorsally metallic green. Labrum black with an apical yellow band, anteclypeus yellow, postclypeus black, antefrons yellow, postfrons, antennifer and gena black. Thorax. Prothorax dorsally metallic green, sides yellow with a lateral black spot. Mesepisternum and mesepimeron metallic green; metepisternum and mesepimeron black, with an anterior light yellow area that continues ventrally on mesepimeron ventral third. Venter of thorax yellow. Coxa and trochanter yellow, femur black, tibia yellow with anterior side black, tarsus yellow with a medial and an apical black band. Wings hyaline, venation black; MP ending 0.5 cell distally from the vein descending from subnodus; IR2 and RP 3 separated by a short crossvein one cell posterior to their origin; divergence of RP-RA (arculus) distal to antenodal 2; IR1 beginning at postnodal 7 in Fw and at postnodal 6 in Hw; RP 2 beginning at postnodal 4 in Fw and at postnodal 3 in Hw; pterostigma pale brown, about 3/4 length of underlying cell; 11 postnodals in right Fw and 10 in left Fw, 8 in right Hw, 9 in left Hw. Antenodal spaces about 1.4:1:1.4. Abdomen: S1–2 dorsally metallic green, remaining yellow; S3–6 with apical brown ring, dorsal 2/3 black, remaining brown; S7–10 black. Segment 3 of genital ligula ( Fig. 42 ) slightly narrowed medially, sides slightly elevated, apex folded upwards, with a shallow medial cleft and two small spines at sides, postero-lateral projection widely rounded in lateral view, peduncle short, barely visible, a small rounded lobe basal to posterolateral projection. Cercus ( Fig. 3 ) shorter than S10, in lateral view shaped as an open C, with a small rounded innerbasal tooth; dorsal branch directed dorsally, with apical hook directed ventrally, posterior margin concave in lateral view; ventral branch small, approximately rounded and developed as a projection of cercus base. Epiproct ( Fig. 3 b–c) bifurcated, branches fingerlike, short and parallel, joining at base and separated by a triangular swollen structure.

Dimensions. Total length 30.8; abdomen length 25.8; Fw: 16.4; Hw: 15.7.

Paratypes: Same as holotype except: abdomen black with dark brown venter in two paratypes, MP ending 0.4 to 0.5 cell distally from the vein descending from subnodus; IR1 beginning at postnodal 7 or 8 in FW and at postnodal 6 or 7 in HW; 10 to 12 postnodals in FW, 8 to 10 in HW.

Dimensions. Total length 32.3 ±0.9; abdomen length 27.2 ±2,6; Fw: 17.82 ±0.55; Hw: 16.8 ±0.35.

Diagnosis. Epipleoneura ottoi is similar to E. machadoi , E. kaxuriana , and E. westfalli ; it can be distinguished from the former by the comparatively shorter epiproct branches, the small inner-basal tooth (large and triangular basal tooth in E. machadoi ) and the C-shaped cercus with posterior margin of dorsal branch concave in lateral view (L shaped and convex or straight in E. machadoi ). Epipleoneura ottoi differs from E. kaxuriana in the small inner basal tooth of cercus (well developed inner-basal branch in E. kaxuriana ) and in the epiproct branches separated by a triangular swollen structure (TS, Fig. 3 b) (lacking in E. kaxuriana ). From E. westfalli , it can be distinguished by the epiproct branches comparatively shorter, parallel, and joined at base (longer, divergent, and fused along basal to apical third in E. westfalli ). The cercus with a small inner-basal tooth, the epiproct with short branches with their bases joined and the genital ligula with two small spines on its apex is a unique character combination within the genus. Female unknown.

Etymology. I name this species ottoi (noun in apposition) in honor of my beloved father, Raúl Adolfo Pessacq, whose nickname is Otto.

Distribution. Central Brazil, in Goiás State (type locality Sao Bartolomeu river, 40 km from Paraiso). The exact sampling site in Sao Bartolomeu river could not be located due to vague label data information, but the main road from Alto Paraiso to Sao Bartolomeu river reaches the river at approximately 40 km at 14º03’39”S, 47º16’09”W.

Notes. During my 2009 stay in MNRJ, I examined approximately 20 specimens of this new species. Unfortunately, during my visit in 2011 this material could not be located.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Male caudal appendages, a: lateral view; b: posterior view, c: latero-posterior view. AH: apical hook. DB: cercus dorsal branch. VB: cercus ventral branch. CIB: cercus inner-basal branch. CT: cercus inner-basal tooth. TS: triangular swollen structure.

FIGURES 28 – 47. Genital ligula, lateral and ectal view. Figures 29, 33, 47 modified from Garrison et al. (2010). PLP: posterolateral projection.