Mesamphiagrion ovigerum (Calvert, 1909)

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 : 434-438

Mesamphiagrion ovigerum (Calvert, 1909)

Figs 10 d (habitus ♀); 10j (pronotum and mesostigmal plates ♀); 13m (S7– 10 ♂); 14d (S7–10 ♀); 16 (Map)

Enallagma ovigerum Calvert 1909: 159 –160, figs. 123, 123s (description of male and illustration of terminal apendages).

Archaeallagma ovigerum : Kennedy 1920: 87 (diagnosis, designation of E. ovigerum as type species);—Davies & Tobin 1984: 65 (synonymic list);—Moore 1997: 16 (IUCN conservation plan);—Steinman 1997: 245 (synonymic list).

Argia hebdomatica: Navás 1934: 140 –142 (description of A. hebdomatica ).

Cyanallagma ovigerum Garrison 1991: 11 (synonymic list);—Bridges 1994: VII.176 (synonymic list);—De Marmels 1997: 146–147, figs. 4, 23, 35, 59, and 85 (in part, key, remarks, map, and illustrations of diagnostic characters);—Tsuda 2000: 31 ( Colombia);—Heckman 2008: 536, fig 636 (keys for adults and known larvae);—von Ellenrieder 2009: www.iucnredlist.org (red list category, and distribution).

Mesamphiagrion ovigerum von Ellenrieder & Garrison 2008: 1–51, figs. 18 a, b, c; 39, 40, 61 a, b; 71 a and b (in part, key, map, illustrations and A. hebdomatica synonymized with M. ovigerum );—Garrison et al. 2010: 275–279, figs. 1729, 1734, 1748, 1749, 1766, 1767 (in part, synonymic list, and illustrations); Pérez-Gutiérrez & Palacino-Rodríguez 2011: 213 (Colombian species check list).

Specimens examined (six specimens). ICN: Boyacá: 1♂, Municipality Paipa, Township La Pradera, close to Río Tocota, 5°42’N 73°7’W, 2500m, 12.ii.1978, Leg: L. de Arévalo. 1♂, Municipio Moniquirá, 5°52’N 73°35’O 02.ii.1978. 1♀, Cundinamarca, Bogotá, 24.v.1979. Leg: C. Bohorquez. ANDES: Boyacá, Municipio Villa de Leyva, Santuario de Flora y Fauna Iguaque 05°43'19"N 73°28'7"O, 2560m. Leg: M. Torres: 2 M, 6.ii.2009. 1 ♂, 20.xi.2008.

First description of female. Head. Labium cream along edges becoming light blue toward center. Base of mandible green. Labrum green brownish with a small midbasal spot, dorsolateral margins brown. Gena ventral half brown and dorsal half green. Anteclypeus green, postclypeus brown. Frons brown, pruinescent, with postocular spot blue not reaching margin of eye. Antenna brown. Rear of head with cream venter and brown near occipital lobe ( Fig. 10 d).

Thorax. Prothorax brown, anterior lobe of pronotum light blue, propleura light blue, posterior lobe trilobed with medial lobe projected slightly and with apex concave ( Fig. 10 j). Mesepisternal plate light brown, approximately flat and triangular ( Fig. 10 j). Pterothorax with middorsal stripe brown, green iridiscent stripe on mesepisternum, brown stripe on mesopleural suture and mesepimeron, blue metepisternum with its proximal 1/4 brown, brown stripe at posterior end of metepisternum along metapleural suture, cream pruinescent metepimeron, venter, and coxae ( Fig. 10 d). Remainder of legs brown with black spurs. Eight external spurs on right metafemur and ten on left, as long as space between them or shorter, gradually increasing in size toward apex. Eight external spurs on left metatibia and nine on right, as long as space between them or shorter, gradually decreasing in size toward apex. Pretarsal claw with well-developed supplementary tooth. Wings smoked, with brown Pt, ratio between distal and proximal sides about 1:1. CuP reaching CuPAA slightly distal to confluence of CuPAA with hind margin of wing. 11 Px in FW, 10 Px in right and 11 in left HW. RP 2 branching between Px 4 and 5 in FW, between Px 3 and 4 in HW ( Fig. 10 d).

Abdomen. Dorsum black and sides cream except S1–5 dorsum brown with greenish blue sides, S3–7 apical greenish blue incomplete ring, S7 with a blue dorsal spot occupying proximal two thirds, S8 with greenish blue spot on each side occupying proximal third of segment, S9 with rounded greenish blue spot on distal 4/5, S10 with a small greenish blue spot near proximal margin ( Fig. 10 d; 13d). Vulvar spine brown. Ovipositor black, cercus and paraproct brown. Subbasal plate of ovipositor brown and triangular. Distal apex of ovipositor reaching level of cercus mid-length, stylus representing most distal point of body. Cercus conical, about half as long as S10. Paraproct truncate posteriorly. Total length 39 mm. Abdomen length 31 mm. FW length 25 mm. HW length 24 mm.

Distribution. Cundiboyacense highlands in the Cordillera Oriental, between 2,500 and 2,900 m. a.s.l. ( Fig. 16 ).

Remarks. Further collecting in Pensilvania (Caldas) and surrounding municipalities will be necessary to confirm the presence of this species in the Cordillera Central, since the only existing record is that of Navás under the name Argia hebdomatica Navás, 1934 , later synonymized by von Ellenrieder & Garrison (2008) with M. ovigerum . Originally, Navás described the species (and also Argia trina , synonym of M. laterale ) based on material collected by Brother Apollinar María. No further records of the species are known from the Cordillera Central to support the wide distribution for M. ovigerum , despite a recent trip to Pensilvania by CAB.

This species, endemic to Colombia, appears to be one of the rarest in the genus. Its conservation status is defined by the IUCN as data deficient (known from only five locations) (von Ellenrieder 2009).

Habitat and biology. Lotic systems from degraded to well preserved areas. It was particularly abundant in the stationary flood zone where emergent vegetation was present (Torres-Pachón pers. comm.).

Cyanallagma tamaense De Marmels 1988: 98 –100, figs. 14–20 (description and illustration of diagnostic traits);—De Marmels 1989: 246 (generic placement);—De Marmels 1990b: 337 (Venezuelan species checklist);—Garrison 1991: 11 (synonymic list);—Bridges 1994: VII.230 (synonymic list);—De Marmels 1997: 149–150, figs. 5, 11, 17, 24, 29, 36, 42, 47, 53, 60, 61, 69, and 85 (key, illustrations, and map);—Tsuda 2000: 31 ( Venezuela);—De Marmels 2007: 46–50, figs. 111–122 (description of larvae and habitat);—Heckman 2008: 541,544–545 fig. 642, 645 (keys for adults and known larvae).

Mesamphiagrion tamaense von Ellenrieder & Garrison 2008: 1–51, figs. 21 a, b, c; 45, 66, 75, 82, and 99 (in part, key, map, and illustrations); Garrison et al. 2010: 275–279, figs. 1736, 1742, 1771 (in part, synonymic list, and illustrations); Pérez- Gutiérrez & Palacino-Rodríguez 2011: 213 (Colombian species check list).

Specimens examined (Five specimens). ANDES: Venezuela, 1M Tachira San Vicente de la Revancha, Leg: J. De Marmels. CEUA, Colombia, Santander: 4♂, Municipality California, Township Angostura, N7.375663° W72.9120013° 2750m, 21.viii.2012, Leg: A. Vélez-Bravo. 7♀ and 20♂, Municipality Suratá, Township El Palchal, N 7° 25´W72°56´2650–3000m, 22.i–4.ii.2013, Leg: C. Bota & C. Gómez.

Habitat and biology. At Santander a large (hundreds of individuals) population inhabits wetlands at forest edge. On sunny days individuals become active at 09:00, reaching their active peak close to noon. Two patterns of female coloration were observed: green ( Fig. 12 a) and red ( Fig. 12 b). Males were very aggressive toward green females, always trying to catch them in tandem. Green females avoided males by falling to the ground or flying into shrubs for shelter. Males exhibited a different behavior toward red females; males tried to expel them when one entered their area. Seven pairs in tandem consisted of green females. Green females oviposited on macrophytes, once in tandem and twice alone. We believe that coloration variability is due to ontogenic changes.

Mature males ( Fig. 12 c) perched close to oviposition sites where up to five males were seen to chase each other toward shrubs or surrounding forest. Upon returning to the water, some males moved their abdomen up to the level of the thorax and down again repeatedly, with their wings open approximately at 45 degrees, a behavior we also observed in M. gaudiimontanum . Interactions with red juvenile males ( Fig. 12 d) were similar to the interaction described for red females.

This species co-occurs with Teinopodagrion cf. oscillans , Rhionaeschna marchali , Erythrodiplax abjecta (Rambur) , and Sympetrum gilvum .

Distribution. Northern Cordillera Oriental, including the Santander-massif, from Boyacá in Colombia to Táchira in Venezuela, between 2,650 to 3,000 m.a.s.l. ( Fig 15 ).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Mesamphiagrion nataliae (Cundinamarca, Guasca): (a) Male holotype; (f) Juvenile male paratype; (b) Androchrome female allotype; (g) Gynochrome female paratype; (c) Juvenile female paratype. (h) M. rosseri female paratype (Antioquia, Medellín). (d) M. ovigerum female (Cundinamarca, Bogotá) and (j) dorsal view of posterior lobe of pronotum and mesostigmal plates. (i) M. occultum female (Cundinamarca, PNN Chingaza) and (e) dorsal view of posterior lobe of pronotum and mesostigmal plates. p. m.: Mesostigmal plates. l. p.: Ponotum posterior lobe.

FIGURE 12. Mesamphiagrion tamaense (Santander, Suratá): (a) Mature female; (b) Juvenile female; (c) Mature male; (d) Juvenile male.

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

FIGURE 16. New distributional records of Mesamphiagrion demarmelsi, M. gaudiimontanum, M. ovigerum and M. risi in Colombia.