Syncordulia Selys

Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B., Samways, Michael J. & Simaika, John P., 2007, Two new relict Syncordulia species found during museum and field studies of threatened dragonflies in the Cape Floristic Region (Odonata: Corduliidae), Zootaxa 1467, pp. 19-34 : 20-21

Syncordulia Selys — ‘Presbas’

Gomphomacromia (Syncordulia) Selys, 1882 : clxviii [type species: Epophthalmia gracilis Burmeister, 1839 ; by monotypy].

Syncordulia Selys, 1882 – Kirby (1890: 52).

Presba Barnard, 1933: 167 [type species: Presba venator Barnard, 1933 ; by original designation]; junior synonym – Lieftinck (1961: 410).

Etymology. The etymology of Presba was never specified, but probably derives from the Greek presbys (elder). Meaning honoured or august, it conveys the distinct and ancient character of the genus. Barnard (1933) honoured two friends, an angler and a hunter (of insects), with the names piscator and venator . In keeping with this, it seems appropriate to honour ‘the gatherer’. We propose legator to highlight the legacy of collectors like Pinhey and Duke, who assembled most material of the species by that name. As was the case for the fourth species, most new species are chance discoveries: serendipator is derived from ‘The Three Princes of Serendip’. Horace Walpole coined the word serendipity to describe how the fairy-tale’s heroes “were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of” ( Winstanley 1984). The names acknowledge the importance of collections and renewed surveys and emphasize that voucher specimens play an important role in conservation biology. The form presba is feminine, and therefore does not match well with Barnard’s names, which are masculine nouns (H. Fliedner in litt.). However, because Barnard did not specify the etymology and gender of Presba , and because we regard the names as nouns in apposition, we do not amend them, placing nomenclatory stability and uniformity above a possible imbalance of gender.

Diagnosis. The only corduliid genus in the region, where its venation is unique: (1) Fw with 7–10 Ax and 5–8 Px; (2) sectors of arculus not fused; (3) Fw with one, Hw with two Cux; (4) triangles, subtriangles and supratriangles in all wings uncrossed (save occasional exceptions); (5) Fw discoidal field of single cell-row at base; (6) Hw arculus distinctly proximal of triangle; (7) anal loop bow-shaped, with 6–11 cells in males and 9–14 in females. A notable feature of all species is that the eyes are bluish grey, whereas they are typically bright green in Corduliidae (including Macromiinae).