Mesamphiagrion laterale (Selys, 1876)

Bota-Sierra, Cornelio Andrés & Echeverri, Martha Isabel Wolff, 2013, Taxonomic revision of Mesamphiagrion Kennedy, 1920 from Colombia (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), with the description of four new species, Zootaxa 3718 (5), pp. 401-440 : 427-428

Mesamphiagrion laterale (Selys, 1876)

Figs. 11 a (habitus ♂), 11b (habitus ♀), 11d (habitus juvenile ♂), 13l (S7– 10 ♂), 14q (S7–10 ♀), 15 (map)

Acanthagrion laterale: Selys 1876: 73 –75 (description);—Kirby 1890: 145 (synonymic list);—Kennedy 1916: 328–331, figs. 18–19 (brief description of genital ligula);—Ris 1918: 122, fig. 63 (brief description);—Kimmins 1970: 187 (lectotype in British Museum of Natural History).

Cyanallagma laterale Kennedy 1920: 87 (generic placement);—Donnelly & Alayo 1966: 109 (in part; A. ternaria , synonymized with C. laterale );—Davies & Tobin 1984: 66 (synonymic list);—De Marmels 1988: 98 (record at Tachira, Venezuela);—De Marmels 1989: 246 (discussion of generic placement);—Donnelly 1989: 15 (record from Venezuela);— De Marmels 1990b: 337 (Venezuelan species checklist);—Garrison 1991: 11 (in part; A. trina , synonymized with C. laterale );—Bridges 1994: VII.130 (synonymic list);—De Marmels 1997: 135–156, figs. 3, 10, 16, 22, 28, 34, 41, 46, 52, 58, 67, 68, and 83 (in part, key, remarks, map, and illustrations of diagnostic characters);—Steinman 1997: 247 (synonymic list);—Tsuda 2000: 31 ( Colombia);—De Marmels 2007: 47–49, figs. 96–110 (in part, description of larvae and biology);—Heckman 2008: 542–543 fig. 643, 647 (keys for adults and known larvae).

Argia ternaria Navás 1934: 142 –143 (description).

Argia trina Navás 1934: 143 –144 (description).

Mesamphiagrion laterale von Ellenrieder & Garrison 2008: 1–51, figs. 1b; 24 a–c; 47a–b; 68; 78 a–b; 84; 98; and 109 (in part, key, map, photograph, and illustrations);—Garrison et al. 2010: 275–279, figs. 1739, 1745, 1758, 1759, 1775, 1776 (in part, synonymic list, illustrations);—Pérez-Gutiérrez & Palacino-Rodríguez 2011: 213 (Colombian species checklist).

Specimens examined (206 specimens). ICN: Santander: 1 ♂, Municipality Barbosa, 5°55'N 73°37'W 1700m. 15.iv.1974, Leg: L. Martinez. Boyaca: 21♂ and 2♀, Municipality Gachantiva, Laguna de los Colorados, 5°47'N 73°33'W 2200m. 31.i.1978, Leg: I. Arévalo. 23♂ and 2♀, Municipality Togüi, Finca Versalles, 5°54'N 73°31'W 1670msnm. 2.i.1978, Leg: I. Arévalo. 1 ♂, Municipality Pajarito, Township Corinto. Río Cusiana, 5°24'N 72°42'W 1600m, 9.v.1979, Leg: C. Bohérquez. Cundinamarca: 1♂, Municipality Facatativá, Parque Arqueologico, 4°48'53"N 74°20'44"W 2600m. 9.iii.1981. 1♀, Municipality Bogotá, Suba, Loma San Josá, 4°44 'N 74°4'O 2650msnm. 24.iii.1974. Leg: J. Perea. 1♂, Municipality Subachoque, 4°55'N 74°11'W 2660m. 31.i.1990. Meta: 3♀, Municipality Villavicencio, Bosque Bavaria, 4°10'N 73°39'W 750msnm. ANDES: Cundinamarca: Municipality Alban, 4°53'53"N 74°25'31"W 2000m: 1♂, 13.xi.2004. 2♂, ix.2006. 1♂, Municipality Facatativa, Quebrada Manzilla, 2600m. 2.ii.2006. Leg: E Realpe. Municipality El Rosal, Finca Arrayanes, 4°54'N 74°16'W, 2400m: 2♂, 3.ii.2008, Leg: E. Realpe. 2♂, 4.ix.2004, Leg: L. Pérez. 2♂, Municipality Mosquera, Modoñedo, 4°40 N 74°15' W 2600m, ix.2004, Leg: E. Realpe. Municipality Caqueza, Finca Brisas del Carmen de Caqueza, 1465m, 4°24'39"N 73°55'42" W: 3♂, 5.iii.2006, Leg E. Realpe & M. Sánchez. 3M, 12.iii.2007, Leg: L. Pérez. 2 M, 2.iv.2006, Leg: C. Garzón. 3M, vi.2006, Leg: L. Pérez. 3♂, 10.ii.2008, Leg: E. Realpe. Municipality Bogotá: 2♂, ix.2004, Leg: E. Realpe. 22♂, 18.x.2004, Leg: S. Cardona & L, Pérez. 8♂ and 7♀, Parque La Florida, 4°43'45"N 74°9'1"W 2550m, Lake, 18.ix.2004 Leg: L. Pérez & S. Cardona. 2♂ and 2♀, Humedal La Conejera, 4°45'39"N 74°4'34"W, 2600 m, ix.2009 Leg: E. Realpe. Municipality Ubaque, Laguna Ubaque, 04°31'01"N 73°56'24"W 2000m: 6♂ and 4♀, 17.xi.2004, Leg: C. Garzón & L. Peréz. 19♂ and 3♀, same but 10.ix.2004, Leg: L. Peréz. 3♂, 3.vi.2005, Leg: E. Realpe. 5♂, 26.iv.2006. Leg: C. Garzón. Boyacá: 3♂ and 1♀, Municipality Sutamarchán, 5°39'N 73°37'W, 2300m. 7.xi.2011, Leg: E. Realpe. 1♂, Municipality Villa de Leyva, Santuario de Flora y Fauna Iguaque 05°43'19"N 73°28'7"W, 2560m, 14.ix.2008, Leg: M. Torres. Venezuela: Merida: Via La Culata, 8°56' N 70°38' 2400m, 04.vii.1991, Leg: J. De Marmels. CEUA: Boyacá: 1♂, Municipality Santa Rosa de Viterbo, La Pica, 5°57'N 73°3'O, 13.ii.1917, Leg: M.A. Carriker. Cundinamarca, Municipality Guatavita, 26.vii.2012, Leg: C. Bota, E. Realpe & E. Ussa: 4♂ and 1♀, 4°59' N 73°47' 2850m. 2♂ and 1♀, Embalse Tomine, 4°56'N 73°50' W 2600m. Santander: 5♂ and 1♀, Municipality Zapatoca, Vereda Alto de las Aguilas, N 6°52'35" O 73°19'56" 2300m. 13.viii.2013, Leg: C. Bota, C. Flórez & G. Valencia.

Remarks. Mesamphiagrion laterale seems to be the most abundant species of the genus in the Cordillera Oriental; “wetland populations are so numerous that grass seems to flower in blue” (Realpe pers. comm.). There are two records of this species from the Cordillera Central, which are doubtful as explained below.

Navás (1934) described Argia ternaria based on material collected by Brother Apollinar María, who lived in Bogotá, from the municipalities of Pensilvania, Caldas department, in the Cordillera Central, Quetama [sic.] (probably Quetame), and Coachí, Cundinamarca department, in the Cordillera Oriental. This name was synonymized under M. laterale by Donnelly & Alayo (1966) based on the specimen collected in Quetame. This species has not been recorded again from Caldas Department, and during a recent trip to Pensilvania CAB searched unsuccessfully for specimens of the genus Mesamphiagrion .

The type series deposited in the British Museum of Natural History (1♂ lectotype) and Brussels Museum of Natural Sciences (2♂ paralectotypes) are labeled Cauca Dept.: Nueva Granada, M. Mac Lachlan leg. Cauca department changed its jurisdiction over time; it once covered all the land between northern Chocó and the Amazon lowlands, including the three cordilleras: Occidental, Central, and Oriental (Acosta 1856). Current political boundaries of Cauca only cover the Occidental and Central cordilleras. von Ellenrieder & Garrison (2008), and Pérez-Gutiérrez & Palacino-Rodríguez (2011) following them, recorded M. laterale from the current Cauca department at the Central Cordillera; however there are no further records to support this distribution, and a recent expedition to the department made by CAB was negative.

The color pattern of mature males ( Figs. 11 a, 12 l) is quite similar to that of M. gaudiimontanum and M. nataliae . Juveniles have red coloration on S1–3 ( Fig. 11 b–d). Females show plasticity in the color of S8, with two light blue spots present or absent ( Fig. 13 o–q). Also, plasticity has been observed in some diagnostic traits, with ventrobasal process of male cercus elongated and with sharp apex pointing proximally or quite undeveloped, and the posterior lobe of pronotum presenting subtle variations in its concavity.

Habitat and biology. Males and females were observed near lentic water bodies such as reservoirs, small lakes, and marshes. Apparently this species prefers places with riparian vegetation such as grasses and shrubs, which it uses as shelter from the wind.

Distribution. This species encompasses the widest altitudinal range observed for the genus, from 750 to 2,850 m.a.s.l., extending from the Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuela to the Llanos foothills in the Cordillera Oriental ( Fig. 15 ).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Mesamphiagrion laterale (Cundinamarca, Guatavita): (a) Mature male; (b) Female; (d) Juvenile male. M. tamaense (Santander, Suratá): (c) Juvenile male showing red coloration on S 3. M. demarmelsi (Cundinamarca, Guatavita): (e) Mature male

FIGURE 15. New distributional records of Mesamphiagrion laterale, M. nataliae, M. occultum, M. rosseri, M. santainense, and M. tamaense in Colombia.

FIGURE 13. S 7 – 10 color patterns of males: (a) and (b) Mesamphiagrion gaudiimontanum; (c) and (d) M. risi; (e) M. rosseri; (f) and (g) M. santainense; (h) M. tamaense; (i) and (j) M. occultum; (k) M. demarmelsi; (l) M. laterale; (m) M. ovigerum; (n) M. nataliae.