Wahnesia annulipes ( Lieftinck, 1956 )

Polhemus, Dan A. & Kalkman, Vincent J., 2021, Four new species of Wahnesia Förster, 1900 from the D’Entrecasteaux, Louisiade and Woodlark island groups, Papua New Guinea (Odonata: Argiolestidae), Zootaxa 5004 (3), pp. 447-464 : 459-461

Wahnesia annulipes ( Lieftinck, 1956)

( Figs 17–19 , 22 )

Argiolestes annulipes Lieftinck, 1956: 72 , 102–105, figs 39 (original description of male and female, type locality: Goodenough I. (D’Entrecasteaux Archip., 900 m Camp [Utamodi Valley]).

Argiolestes annulipes Lieftinck, 1971: 73 (note on holotype male and first described female, type locality, authority).

Material examined. PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Milne Bay Prov.:

Normanby Island: 6 ♂♂, south coast, upper Apatabuia River and rocky tribs., above Bunama, 60–90 m a.s.l., 10°07’12”S, 151°09’07”E (-10.120028, 151.151917), water temp. 25°C. (tributary pools), 29 January 2003, 09:00– 01:00 hrs., CL 7228, D.A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) ; 11 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, east coast, Golupona Stream above Yeluyelua, 90 m a.s.l., 10°02’53”S, 151°15’35”E (-10.048139, 151.259806), water temp. 23°C., 30.I.2003, 08:00–13:00 hrs, CL 7232, J.T. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) ; 4 ♂♂, east coast, upper Dibuwa River and rocky tribs., W. of Yeluyelua, 245 m a.s.l., 10°02’46”S, 151°14’53”E (- 10.046167 S, 151.248056), water temp. 24°C., 30.I.2003, 09:30–12:30 hrs, CL 7231, D.A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) ; 2 ♂♂, Mount Pabinama [vic. -10.095655, 151.982004], 5.V.1956, leg. 5th Archbold Expedition ( RMNH) [the locality on the envelope reads: “Normanby I., Camp 2,” with additional locality details taken from Brass (1959)]; 2 ♂♂, 7–8.V.1956, idem ; 2 ♀♀, 7–10.V.1956, idem ; 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 10.V.1956, idem ; 2 ♂♂, 10–11.V.1956, idem (all RMNH) .

Fergusson Island: 1 ♂, east coast, Mebulibuli Creek and rocky tributary, 1.3 km. upstream of mouth, S. of Basima, 15–75 m a.s.l., 9°30’54”S, 150°52’04”E (-9.515111, 150.867833), water temp. 24°C., 24.IX.2002, 09:00– 13:00 hrs., CL 7180, D.A. Polhemus ( USNM) ; 1 ♂, mountains between Agamoia and Ailuluai, 3000 feet a.s.l., [vic. -9.598813, 150.642386], 10.VI.1956, leg. 5th Archbold Expedition ( RMNH) [the locality on the envelope reads: “ Fergusson I., Camp 4,” with additional locality details taken from Brass (1959)] ; 2 ♂♂, 11.VI.1956, idem ; 4 ♀♀, 11–16.VI.1956, idem ; 3 ♀♀, 12–13.VI.1956, idem ; 2 ♂♂, 13.VI.1956; 3 ♂♂, 13.VI.1956; 2 ♂♂, 16–17.VI.1956 (all RMNH) .

Basilaki Island: 4 ♂♂, Basilaki Is., Kalawai River and rocky trib., 5–145 m a.s.l., 10°36’52”S, 151°01’07”E (-10.614389, 151.018611), water temp. 27°C., pH 8.27, 17.I.2004, 09:00–14:00 hrs., CL 7294, D.A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) .

New Guinea: 1 ♂, Upalai River at Haluwia, 8.5 mi. E. of Alotau on East Cape road, waterfall at head of midreach, approx. 2.5 km. above mouth, 45– 75 m ., 10°19’39”S, 150°34’36”E (- 10.327500 S, 150.576667), water temp. 24.5°C., 5.IV.2002, 09:45–16:30 hrs., CL 7163, D.A. Polhemus ( USNM) ; 1 ♂, streamlet and roadside seeps above Huhuna on road to Watunou, 11.2 mi. ENE of Alotau, 260 m . a.s.l., 10°18’19”S, 150°36’56”E (-10.305278, 150.615556), water temp. 28°C., 6.IV.2002, 14:00–15:00 hrs., CL 7164, D.A. Polhemus ( USNM) ; 2 ♂♂, Pini Range , spring and streamlet nr. old Duabo mission station, 300 m ., 10°18’19”S, 150°36’56”E (-10.418056, 150.306667), water temp. 25°C., 9.IV.2002, 14:00–15:00 hrs., CL 7170, D.A. Polhemus ( USNM) ; 2 ♂♂, Cloudy Mountains , rocky stream 0.6 mi. above Gadowalai village, S. of Gelemalaia, 135 m a.s.l., 10°28’57”S, 150°14’27”E (-10.482500, 150.240833), water temp. 24.5°C., 12.IV.2002, 10:00–10:30 hrs., CL 7176, D.A. Polhemus ( USNM, BPBM) .

Distribution. This species occurs on the main island of New Guinea in the far eastern portion of the Owen Stanley Range, the Pini Range, and the Cloudy Mountains; on Basilaki Island east of the China Strait; and on all of the D’Entrecasteaux Islands ( Fig. 22 ). The new records provided here greatly expand the range of this taxon, which has proven to be one of the most common species of Wahnesia in all of far eastern New Guinea and nearby islands. Given the present range, it is very likely that the species will also be found on Sariba and Sideia islands. The western limit of its range is not currently known, but may well extend into the mountain foothills of the Owen Stanley Range behind Orangerie Bay.

Discussion. Wahnesia annulipes was previously known only from the male holotype and the female paratype from taken on Goodenough Island, at Camp 2 of the Fourth Archbold Expedition, lying at 900 m elevation in the eastward-draining Utamodi Valley ( Brass 1956). The terminal anal appendages of the male holotype are distorted, and as a result Lieftinck (1956) only depicted the left upper appendage. The male genitalia of a series taken at Yeluyelua on Normanby Island matches the figures given in Lieftinck (1956), but the overall coloration is quite different from that detailed in the original species description. This is explained by the fact that Lieftinck described W. annulipes from two teneral specimens, which possessed dark annuli on the legs. In fully mature adults, by contrast, such annuli are absent. Instead, the overall coloration of mature specimens is primarily dark brown to black, with the dorsum of the posterior abdomen in males creamy white, and the annulations on the legs for which Lieftinck named this species obscure, being present only in the teneral phase.

The labrum of the male holotype is pale brownish with a slightly darker outer border which has a faint metallic sheen.This led Lieftinck to suggest that the labrum is “probably brilliant metallic green in the adult insect.” However, the areas where the labrum would be metallic in the adults would already be evident in a teneral specimen, and our impression is that the labrum coloration in the type series of W. annulipes would be pale throughout in fully mature individuals. Such pale coloration is in fact seen in our newer material from Normanby Island and Fergusson islands. Because the anal appendages of newly collected material from multiple localities throughout the D’Entrecasteaux Islands match those of the holotype from Goodenough, it appears that all these populations represent the same species, despite ambiguity regarding coloration.

The geographic ranges of W. annulipes and W. armeniaca overlap on at least Goodenough Island and Fergusson islands, and their male anal appendages show certain similarities, although the paraprocts of W. annulipes are diagnostic, with small, sharp, upwardly curving points apically (compare Figs 18, 19 versus Figs 20, 21 ). The two species also differ in the coloration of the legs, which become dark on their outer faces and pale on the inner in W. armeniaca , but remain unicolorous yellow-orange, with black rings in the teneral phase, in W. annulipes . In addition, W. annulipes has a completely pale labrum while W. armeniaca has the outer border dark.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Wahnesia annulipes, scanning electron micrograph of male genital ligula.

FIGURES 18–21. Wahnesia species, male terminal anal appendages. 18. W. annulipes (Lieftinck), dorsal view; specimen from Normanby Island, Yeluyelua, CL 7232. 19. W. annulipes (Lieftinck), left lateral view of same specimen as preceding. 20. W. armeniaca (Lieftinck), dorsal view; specimen from Goodenough Island, Waidala Creek, CL 7188. 21. W. armeniaca (Lieftinck), left lateral view of same specimen as preceding.

FIGURE 22. Distribution of Wahnesia species occurring in the D’Entrecasteaux Islands.