Angelagrion nathaliae, Lencioni, 2008

Lencioni, Frederico A. A., 2008, Angelagrion gen. nov. with description of A. nathaliae sp. nov. and A. fredericoi sp. nov. from Brazil (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), Zootaxa 1968, pp. 23-32 : 27-29

Angelagrion nathaliae sp. nov.

Figures 3, 4b, 5c, 6e, 8k–o

Etymology. I name this species nathaliae (noun in genitive case) after my beloved daughter Nathalia Rodrigues Lencioni.

Specimens examined. Total 15 females. Holotype female: Brazil, Sítio Primavera, Rio Claro , São Paulo (22º24'33"S, 47º36'44"W – 569 m), 25-28 ii 2006, leg. F.A.A. Lencioni ( FAAL – NC 4044 ) . Paratypes: 1 female, same data but 12 ii 2002 ( FAAL – NC 3102 ) ; 2 females, same data (in RWG, ex-NC 4038/4039); 1 female, same data (in ABM, ex-NC 4040); 1 female, same data (in MNRJ, ex-NC 4047); 8 females, same data ( FAAL – NC 4041 /4046 and 4048/4050); 1 female, same data but 18 ii 2006, leg. E.A. Lencioni ( FAAL – NC 4026 ) .

Female Holotype. Head. Eyes brown on upper half and greenish gray on inferior half in life; labium, anteclypeus, postclypeus, and antefrons light blue; epicranium greenish with an irregular area from medial ocellus back to postocular lobes black; occipital bar greenish; a blue narrow line bordering compound eyes.

Thorax. Prothorax blue postero-laterally, remainder black. Pterothrorax: Mesepisternum light brown with broad black mid-dorsal stripe; mid-dorsal carina blue; mesepimeron, metepisternum, and metepimeron blue. Black as follows: a narrow stripe on distal 3/4 of metapleural suture (over mesepisternum); mesopleural and metapleural fossae; and spot close to junction of metapleural suture and mesothoracic cross suture. Legs pale blue except for dark extensor surface of femora, base and distal tip of tarsi and pretarsi; spurs black. Wings hyaline, pterostigma light brown; 8 Px in Fw, 7 Px in Hw.

Abdomen. Dorsum of S1 with basal black spot, S2 with a black dorsal stripe beginning at proximal part and extending almost to distal end terminating in an angulated expansion forming a triangle, S3–6 with dorsal stripe progressively enlarged, S7 with a black spot at anterior 1/4 and another at distal end, S8–10 dark brown (black in life). Sides of S1 blue with anterior half brown ventrally, S3–7 dorso-laterally blue and ventrally pale with a black apical annulus expanded basally at varying degrees ( Fig. 3a); S8–10 dark brown to black. Sternum of S1 pale; of S3–7 pale with a very narrow black medial stripe; S8 white with a black medial stripe at basal 1/2; valves of ovipositor bluish.

Dimensions. Total length 26; abdomen length 20.5; Fw length 13.5; Hw length 13.

Variation in Paratypes. Extension of the dark markings in the epicranium varies considerably, but less than in A. fredericoi ( Fig. 8 k-o). Total length 26–29; abdomen length 20–23; Fw length 13.5–14.5; Hw length 13–14. Male unknown.

Biology. Collected at border of an artificial lake at sunny spots, perched at a maximum height of 1m.

Diagnosis. Female of Angelagrion fredericoi differs from A. nathaliae by the shape of the hind lobe of prothorax (slightly trilobed in A. fredericoi , Fig. 5b, and almost rectangular in A. nathaliae , Fig. 5c), by the coloration of venter of metathorax (with a medial heart-shaped black spot in A. fredericoi , Fig. 2c, and without in A. nathaliae , Fig. 3c) and of dorsum of S 7 in females (with mid-dorsal stripe in A. fredericoi , Fig. 2b, and without in A. nathaliae , Fig. 3b), and by size (total length of A. fredericoi varying from 30–31, and of A. nathaliae from 26–29). Male Angelagrion fredericoi can easily be distinguished in the field from all other described Brazilian Coenagrionidae by its bright yellow face.