Protoneura romanae Meurgey, 2006

Ellenrieder, Natalia Von & Garrison, Rosser W., 2017, A synopsis of the Neotropical genus Protoneura (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), Zootaxa 4361 (1), pp. 1-76 : 34-35

Protoneura romanae Meurgey, 2006

Figs. 16 (♂ habitus), 40 (♀ habitus), 62 (♀ mes. plate), 86 (gen. lig.), 112 (♂ app.), 120 (map)

Protoneura romanae Meurgey, 2006b: 369 –373, Figs. 1–6 (description of ♂ and ♀ from Guadeloupe, illustrations of ♂ caudal appendages, ♀ mesostigmal plates and S8–10, diagnosis from P. ailsa );— Donnelly (2007: 14; Montserrat);— Meurgey & Faucheux (2009: 269–271, Figs. 1–5 ; analysis and SEM photographs of sensillae on male caudal appendages);— Meurgey (2010: 153–157, Figs. 1–10 ; description of last stadium larva, illustrations of habitus, prementum, labial palp, gonapophyses, and caudal lamellae, diagnosis from larvae of P. ailsa and P. capillaris , notes on habitat and behavior);— Garrison et al. (2010: 379);— Meurgey & Picard (2011: 227, 228, 232–235; color photos, characterization, habitat, biology, distribution);— Meurgey & Poiron (2012: 310; Guadeloupe);— Meurgey (2013: 302, 306, 328; distribution).

Protoneura ailsa nec Donnelly, 1961 — Meurgey & Williamson (2002: 161; Guadeloupe);—Meurgey et al. (2006: 32; Guadeloupe). Misidentifications.

Protoneura spec. nov .— Meurgey (2006a: 16; French West Indies).

Primary types. Holotype ♂. Guadeloupe, Basse-Terre , Rivière Salee, Source Sulfureuse de Sofaïa, 1 ii 2006, F. Meurgey leg. [ MNHN].

Specimens examined. 7 ♂ 3 ♀: GUADELOUPE, Grande-Terre : 1 ♂ 1 ♀, paratypes, Petit Canal, Beautiran (16°22'28'' N, 61°29'22'' W, 12 ii 2006, R. Bouanchaud leg. [RWG]; Basse-Terre : 2 ♂ 2 ♀, paratypes, Rivière Salée, Source Sulfureuse de Sofaïa (16°16'19'' N, 61°32'58'' W, 330 m) , 1 ii 2006, F. Meurgey leg. [RWG]; 2 ♂, same data but J.J. Daigle leg. [RWG]; 2 ♂ , same data but 2 ii 2006, F.C. Sibley leg. [ FSCA] .

Characterization. Male: Epicranium, thorax and abdomen brownish-black with metallic green to copper reflections; pale colors orange to yellow ( Fig. 16 ). Pronotum anterior lobe pale, sometimes with anterior margin dark; posterior lobe dark with lateral corners pale. Mesepisternum entirely dark lacking pale middorsal and antehumeral stripes; remainder of pterothorax pale. Leg yellow, with tip of femur narrowly dark brown, sometimes with two diffuse brownish rings subbasally and subapically on femur and tibia; tibial spurs shorter than twice intervening spaces. Genital ligula lacking lateral lobes and with a slightly concave distal margin, with laterodistal corners projected ventrally ( Fig. 86 ). Cercus shorter than S10 length, longer than half paraproct length and longer than wide, with a depression on external surface, dorsal margin sinuous and ventral margin slightly concave in lateral view ( Fig. 112a ), with a pointed ventrobasal tooth and two dorsal teeth, a long apical one on distal margin and a shorter subapical one at midlength, visible in dorsal and mediodorsal views ( Figs. 112b, c ). Paraproct longer than S10 length, approximately cylindrical ( Fig. 112 ). TL 37.2–41.6; Hw 17.5–19.5.

Female: As male but pronotum anterior lobe with anterior margin dark, and posterior lobe pale with only posterior margin dark; pale lateral area of S9 extended dorsally medially to about 2/3 of segment height ( Fig. 40 ). Middle lobe of pronotum dark dorsally, lacking pronounced lateral depressions; posterior lobe entire, smoothly convex and directed dorsally. Mesostigmal plate approximately triangular with medial margin upright and with a central concavity; mesanepisterum forming two adjacent cylindrical tubercles lying parallel to each other between posteromedial sides of mesostigmal plates ( Fig. 62 ). TL 35.5–36; Hw 19.5–20.

Diagnosis. Protoneura romanae shares general color pattern, genital ligula and male appendage morphology and mesostigmal plate morphology with P. ailsa , and it is diagnosed under that species.

Habitat and biology. Small montane rainforest streams at elevations from 150 to 1,000 m, where males were observed patrolling low over shaded pools away from the main current itself, and shaded flooded forest with bloodwood ( Pterocarpus officinalis ) at the edge of the Port-Louis mangrove swamp at sea level in Grande-Terre ( Meurgey 2006b). Meurgey (2010) described the last larval stadium, and provided detailed notes on the behavior of the species. Males patrol a 2–3 m long territory facing the stream bank. Mating takes place in flight until the tandem pair reaches a suitable oviposition site. The tandem pair skirts the banks, never more than 15 cm above the water, stopping on dead floating debris such as fallen branches, leaves, or flower petals. Oviposition begins as soon as the female chooses a site. Male always remains in tandem, beating wings constantly. Eggs are laid in floating dead leaves or small branches, and oviposition can take more than 30 minutes. The larvae live in calm areas of fastflowing montane rivers and streams under overhanging rain-forest vegetation, with at least one abrupt bank colonized by spike moss ( Selaginella sp.) or ferns. In these types of habitats, water depth exceeds one meter, and the substrate consists of dead leaves and rocks. Larvae are found clinging on lianas or other plant roots, sometimes on the undersides of leaves. Emergence takes place during the day, between 10 am and 4 pm. The larvae climb out on rocks, plants or roots, always in the shadiest part of the support, and the maximum emergence height observed was 5 cm from water level. Tenerals stay for about one hour beside their exuviae, and then rapidly fly into the canopy ( Meurgey 2010). Meurgey & Faucheux (2009) studied the sensilla on the paraprocts of P. romanae and determined that there are two types of aporous mechanoreceptive sensilla present, sensilla chaetica and sensilla filiformia.

Distribution. Montserrat and Guadeloupe ( Fig. 120 ).

Figures

FIGURES 13–16. Male body scan; head in dorsal view, thorax and abdomen in lateral view (not to scale).(13) P. paucinervis; (14) P.peramans; (15) P.rojiza; (16) P. romanae.

FIGURES 1–4. Male body scan; head in dorsal view, thorax and abdomen in lateral view (not to scale). (1) P. ailsa; (2) P. amatoria; (3) P.aurantiaca; (4) P.caligata.

FIGURES 5–8. Male body scan; head in dorsal view, thorax and abdomen in lateral view (not to scale). (5) P. calverti; (6) P. capillaris; (7) P.cara; (8) P.corculum.

FIGURES 9–12. Male body scan; head in dorsal view, thorax and abdomen in lateral view (not to scale).(9) P.cupida; (10) P. dunklei; (11) P.klugi; (l2) P.macintyrei.

FIGURES 85–91. Genital ligula in ectal (85–91a), lateral (85–91b), and entolateral (85c) views (to scale).(85) P. rojiza; (86) P. romanae; (87)P.sanguinipes; (88) P.scintilla; (89) P.sulfurata; (90–91) P.tenuis. All by RWG.

FIGURES 112–114. Male caudal appendages in lateral (112–114a), posterodorsal (112–114b), and dorsal (112–114b) views (not to scale). (112) P.romanae; (113) P.sanguinipes; (114) P. scintilla.

FIGURES 37–40. Female body scan; head in dorsal view, thorax and abdomen in lateral view (not to scale). (37) P. paucinervis; (38) P.peramans; (39) P.rojiza; (40) P.romanae. Insert in Fig. 40: pronotum in dorsal view.

FIGURES 60–63. Female pronotum (60b; 63a) and mesostigmal plates (60a, c; 61; 62; 63b), in lateral (60a; 61a) and dorsal (60b, c; 61b; 62; 63) views (to scale). (60) P. peramans; (61) P. rojiza; (62) P. romanae; (63) P. sanguinipes.

FIGURES 119–120. Distribution maps.