Metaleptobasis leniloba, Ellenrieder, 2013

Ellenrieder, Natalia Von, 2013, A revision of Metaleptobasis Calvert (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) with seven synonymies and the description of eighteen new species from South America , Zootaxa 3738 (1), pp. 1-155 : 46-48

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3738.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:77D1A6F6-C320-442B-AF31-83324E5EAF3B
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E187ED-661B-FF97-D7A8-F934E0ACF8FD
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Metaleptobasis leniloba
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Metaleptobasis leniloba View in CoL new species

Figs. 1o View FIGURE 1 ; 3o View FIGURE 3 ; 4o View FIGURE 4 ; 5o View FIGURE 5 ; 8o View FIGURE 8 ; 9n View FIGURE 9 ; 10o View FIGURE 10 ; 11o View FIGURE 11 ; 12o View FIGURE 12 ; 13f View FIGURE 13 ; 14e

Etymology. From Latin lenis (adjective), meaning 'smooth', and lobus (noun) meaning 'lobe', referring to the smooth middle lobe of pronotum which allows for differentiation of this species from its most similar congener, M. amazonica .

Types. ( all *) Holotype ♂: PERU, Loreto Dep., Reserva Nacional Pacaya-Samiria, Santa Luisa trail (5°15'S, 74°40'W), 10 vi 2008, C. Beatty, A. Cordero & J. Hoffmann leg. [ FSCA]; 3 ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes: same data as holotype [ RWG]; 1 ♂ paratype: PERU, Loreto Dep., Explorama Lodge , 50 mi NE Iquitos on Amazon River at junction with Yanamono River {3°21'59''S, 72°47'56''W}, 24 viii 1989, S.W. Dunkle leg. [ FSCA]; 1 ♂ paratype: same data but 28 viii 1989, S.W. Dunkle leg. [ RWG]; 3 ♂ paratypes: same data but 27 vi 1991, S.W. Dunkle leg. [ FSCA]; 1 ♂ paratype: PERU, Loreto Dep., Pucallpa {3°27'49''S, 72°55'21''W, 180 m}, 14 xi 1946, J.C. Pallister leg. [ FSCA]; 2 ♂ paratypes: PERU, Loreto Dep., Yarinacocha, forest pond at La Cabaña {8°17'S, 74°37'W}, 12 vii 1977, DRP leg. [ DRP]; 1 ♂ paratype: same data but [ TWD]; 1 ♂ paratype: same data but 10 vii 1977, DRP leg. [ DRP]; 4 ♂, 4 ♀ paratypes (in copula), 8 ♂, 2 ♀ paratypes: BRAZIL, Pará State, Rio Xingu Camp , ca. 60 km S of Altamira, Igarapé N of Camp (3°39'S, 52°22'W, 138 m), 9–16 x 1986, P. Spangler & O.S. Flint, Jr. leg. [ USNM]; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes (in copula), 2 ♂ paratypes, same data but [ RWG]. GoogleMaps

Specimens examined. Total: 29 ♂, 8 ♀.

Description of male holotype. Head. Labium, base of mandible, and rear of head ivory; labrum pale yellowish brown with a distal diffuse pale blue spot, dark brown line along free margin, and a diffuse pale blue area along basal margin; eyes brown, in life bright green, with a bright orange oval spot along margin of postocular lobes, and venter yellowish; remainder of head pale bluish grey (in life pale green, see Figs. 13f i View FIGURE 13 –ii), with a pair of medio-lateral dark brown spots on anteclypeus, a dark brown stripe along anterior margin of postclypeus, black line over epicranial suture and diffuse black spots on epicranium as depicted in Fig. 1o i View FIGURE 1 , and posterior margin of postocular region orange; postocular lobes rounded. Thorax. Color as described for genus, with mid-dorsal dark stripe black with metallic greenish-blue reflections, as wide as about 0.14 of mesepisterna width along medial portion, widening to about twice medial width at posterior end ( Fig. 3o i View FIGURE 3 ). Pronotum anterior lobe smooth; anterior and middle lobes of pronotum separated dorso-laterally by a groove; propleuron with a short sub-vertical crest (as in Fig. 5o i View FIGURE 5 ); middle lobe of pronotum smooth; pronotum posterior lobe trilobed, with medial lobe smoothly convex, and lateral lobes entire and smoothly convex, slightly shorter than medial lobe, with corners rounded ( Fig. 4o i View FIGURE 4 ). Mesanepisternal horns well developed, slightly longer than mesostigmal plate width, of medium thickness at basal portion, narrowing to bluntly pointed apex, slightly compressed antero-posteriorly, directed antero-dorsally at an angle of 65° with dorsum in lateral view and parallel to each other, with bases separated. Wings hyaline, veins reddish brown; Pt sub-rectangular, with anterior and posterior sides longer than distal side, and membrane pale yellow becoming pale brown to center; 13 pnx in Fw, 12 in Hw. Abdomen. Postmortem background color pale yellowish orange, in life pale greenish blue (as in Figs. 13f i View FIGURE 13 –ii); S1 with a brown dorsoposterior spot, and ventral carina of lateral tergum margined with black; S2–7 with dark dorsum, with a basal pale incomplete ring at anterior edge interrupted by dorso-longitudinal dark line, and with a small pale transverse spot near posterior margin on each side on S2–6, black on S3–6, brown on S2 and turning from black to brown posteriorly on S7, on S3–6 dark dorsal color posterior to pale transverse spot extended ventrally along sides of lateral terga; S8–10 dark like S2–7 but without pale basal ring, S8 brown, S9 black; S10 with dark color limited to basal third of dorsum and postero-distal margin along base of paraproct; medio-longitudinal carina on sterna black; cercus base and inner surface pale, remainder dark brown becoming black at apex; paraproct pale, with distal half of external surface dark brown becoming black at apex. Genital lobe short, less than 0.50 of anterior hamule height, smoothly curved; posterior hamule digit-like and small, shortly surpassing ventral margin of genital fossa in lateral view; curvature of basal segment of genital ligula marked by a slight concave depression; genital ligula distal segment sub-quadrate, with ratio maximum width/length of 0.56, with sides straight and apex transverse, at rest surrounding sides of basal segment, lacking an ectal fold (as in Fig. 8o View FIGURE 8 ). S10 medial portion of postero-dorsal margin projected posteriorly, with a small u-shaped incision, and dorsal prominence curved surrounding incision. Cercus in dorsal view ( Fig. 10o i View FIGURE 10 ) sub-cylindrical along basal half, dorso-ventrally flattened along distal half, arched medially with a uniform curvature, narrowing slightly to tip; tip rounded and parallel sided in dorsal view, flat, ending on single incurved tooth directed medio-ventrally; ratio of cercus length to S10 maximum length in lateral view 1.27; ratio of cercus length to paraproct length in lateral view 0.66; paraproct with base sub-cylindrical, distal 0.66 compressed with an inner concavity, of uniform width along distal half in lateral view (as in Fig. 12o View FIGURE 12 ); tip slightly curved ventrally, medial surface with a small sub-apical denticle and ending on a pointed ventral tooth.

Dimensions. Hw 24; abdomen 39; total length 46.9.

Female paratype (collected with holotype). Head. As in holotype or with labrum with branching pattern of dark lines; black areas on epicranium except for black line over epicranial sutures very faint.— Thorax. As in holotype but medial lobe of pronotum posterior lobe narrower and bluntly pointed (as in Fig. 4o View FIGURE 4 iv); 14 (right) and 15 (left) pnx in Fw, 13 in Hw.— Abdomen. Color pattern ( Fig. 13f View FIGURE 13 iii) as in holotype but ventral carina of lateral tergum margined with black in S1–2; S9–10 with dark color limited to basal third of dorsum; posterior margin of S8 sternum smooth, lacking any denticles, spines, or processes ( Fig. 9n View FIGURE 9 ); external valve of ovipositor pale with dark reddish brown stylus; ovipositor extending to level between tip of paraproct and tip of cercus appendages reddish brown.

Variation in paratypes. Head. As in holotype but labrum with branching pattern of dark lines in several specimens ( Fig. 1o View FIGURE 1 ); black areas on epicranium as in holotype to more extensive ( Fig. 1o View FIGURE 1 ii–iii). Thorax. As in holotype but medial lobe of pronotum posterior lobe in females narrower and bluntly pointed, projected dorsoposteriorly or not; mesanepisternal horns from parallel to each other to diverging, as long as 1.0–1.5 of mesostigmal plate width, with bases joined by a low ridge to separated; mid-dorsal dark stripe as wide as 0.14– 0.16 of mesanepisterna at mid-width, widening posteriorly from a third of its medial width to twice its medial width; Pt membrane pale yellow, pale brown or reddish brown; pnx Fw 12–15; pnx Hw 12–14. Abdomen. As in holotype but dark areas on dorsum of abdominal segments brown or reddish brown in some specimens; small pale transverse spot near posterior margin on each side of S2–6 present or absent in some or all segments; ratio of male cercus length to S10 maximum length in lateral view 1.0–1.3; ratio of male cercus length to paraproct length in lateral view 0.63–0.67; female ovipositor reaching tip of paraproct to level between tip of paraproct and tip of cercus.

Dimensions. Males (n 10, excluding holotype): Hw 23.6 ± 0.6 [22.6–24.6]; abdomen 38.4 ± 1.1 [36–39.7]; total length 46.7 ± 1.2 [44.1–48.3]. Females (n 8): Hw 25.2 ± 0.5 [24.6–26]; abdomen 38.8 ± 0.8 [37.5–39.7]; total length 47.1 ± 0.8 [45.8–48.1].

Diagnosis. This species resembles M. amazonica closely in the pattern of its black areas, morphology of hind lobe of pronotum, mesanepisternal horns, genital ligula, and male appendages. However, it can be distinguished by posterior margin of pronotum anterior lobe lacking a posterior projection on latero-medial portion, and middle lobe of pronotum smooth ( Figs. 4o View FIGURE 4 ; 5o View FIGURE 5 ), whereas in M. amazonica latero-medial portion of posterior margin of pronotum anterior lobe has a posterior projection (p-l.), ending adjacent to an antero-dorsal rounded projection of lateral margin of middle lobe of pronotum (e-l.), and fused to it ventrally ( Figs. 4a View FIGURE 4 ; 5a View FIGURE 5 ). Among species with small digit-like male posterior hamule with at most only tip surpassing ventral margin of genital fossa in lateral view, posterior margin of female S8 sternum smooth lacking any denticles, spines, or processes, and dorsum of head with black color not extensive, M. leniloba shares only with M. knopfi and M. selysi the combination of characters including anterior lobe of pronotum not projected postero-ventrally, middle lobe of pronotum smooth lacking any crests or projections, propleuron lacking two sub-vertical crests, and male horns directed antero-dorsally at an angle of 35°–90° with dorsum, sub-cylindrical and about as long as mesostigmal plate width or longer. Metaleptobasis leniloba differs from M. knopfi by the width of mid-dorsal stripe of pterothorax, as wide as 0.14–0.16 of mesanepisterna at mid-length ( Fig. 3o View FIGURE 3 ; about as wide as 0.33 of mesanepisterna at mid-length in M. knopfi , Fig. 3n View FIGURE 3 ), the absence of a tubercle on anterior area of propleuron ( Fig. 5o View FIGURE 5 ; with a low rounded tubercle in M. knopfi , t., Fig. 5n View FIGURE 5 ), genital ligula distal segment sub-quadrate ( Fig. 8o View FIGURE 8 ; subrectangular in M. knopfi , Fig. 8n View FIGURE 8 ), and male paraproct distal third about as wide as medial third in lateral view ( Fig. 12o View FIGURE 12 ; narrower than at medial third in M. knopfi , Fig. 12n View FIGURE 12 ). It differs from M. selysi by lateral portions of anterior lobe of pronotum not inflated ( Figs. 4o View FIGURE 4 ; 5o View FIGURE 5 ; inflated in M. selysi , in., Figs. 4n View FIGURE 4 ; 5n View FIGURE 5 ), mesanepisternal horns narrowing from base to a bluntly pointed tip ( Fig. 4o View FIGURE 4 ; sub-cylindrical in M. selysi , Fig. 4z View FIGURE 4 ), male cercus smoothly curved in dorsal view ( Fig. 10o View FIGURE 10 ; with a distinct medial angle in M. selysi , Fig. 10z View FIGURE 10 ), and tip of male paraproct curved medio-ventrally at an obtuse angle ( Fig. 12o View FIGURE 12 ; curved medio-ventrally at a right angle in M. selysi , Fig. 12z View FIGURE 12 ).

Habitat. Forest near rivers, streams, and ponds. Dennis Paulson found specimens including a pair in the forest in Yarinacocha, Peru, 2–4 m from edge of a pond, where they mostly perched less than 1 m above the ground (DRP pers. comm.).

Distribution. N Peru and N Brazil ( Fig. 14e).