Telosticta belalongensis, Dow & Orr, 2012

Dow, R. A. & Orr, A. G., 2012, Telosticta, A New Damselfly Genus From Borneo And Palawan (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 60 (2), pp. 361-397 : 393-394

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5348617
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DD87E5-FFCE-6173-FC44-F997FCD19ED5
treatment provided by	Tatiana
scientific name	Telosticta belalongensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Telosticta belalongensis View in CoL , new species

( Figs. 16A, C, E View Fig , 17A, C View Fig , 18A, C View Fig , 21)

Protosticta sp. A – Orr, 2001: 190

Protosticta sp. B – Orr, 2003: 38, 70, 148–149, pl. 6f

Material examined. — Holotype: male, Brunei, Temburong, Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre , 21 Jan.1995, coll. AGO, to be deposited in RMNH.

Diagnosis. — Distinguished from all other species of Telosticta except T. janeus by the strongly folded tips of the superior anal appendages. Separated from T. janeus by the longer lateral processes of the posterior pronotal lobe, the well developed dorsal projection and absence of a dorsal crest near the end of the superior anal appendages and the shape of the spine and scoop of the inferior anal appendage.

Etymology. — belalongensis , a feminine adjective, originating from Belalong, a place name. Named for the type locality at the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre in Brunei.

Description of holotype male. — Head: Labium pale except for end hooks of labial palps, which are brown. Labrum pale blue except narrowly along free margin, where shining black. Anteclypeus pale blue, postclypeus shining black. Mandible bases pale blue in corner by clypeus, dark below. Vertex and frons bronzy black, occiput shining black. Lateral extremities of transverse occipital carina angulated and very prominent. Ocelli whitish. Antennae with scape and most of pedicel pale brown, becoming darker towards top, flagella missing.

Thorax: Prothorax with propleuron dull yellow except along rear margin, where brown. Pronotum with anterior and middle lobes dull yellow except at extreme rear of middle lobe dorsally, where very dark brown. Posterior lobe mostly black, hind margin simple, lateral processes long, reaching almost to the lower margin of the propleuron, rounded and curved with a narrow stalk ( Fig. 17A View Fig ), becoming greyish towards tips. Synthorax: Mesepisternum black, with a pair of narrow pale greenish antehumeral stripes, occupying ca 3/4 of the length ( Fig. 16A View Fig ). Antealar triangles pale greenish. Mesepimeron black. Metepisternum almost entirely occupied by broad yellowish cream stripe with just a black triangular area in the upper lower part. Metepimeron largely pale. Venter of synthorax pale. Legs: each with coxa and trochanter pale, femur pale with a narrow dark stripe along the extensor surface, black above tibia. Tibia dark immediately below femur, then brownish. Tarsi brownish. Wings: veins ac and ab absent except in left Hw, where ac is present; in both Fw there is a tiny stub originating on CuP, only visible on close scrutiny. 10 Px in Fw, 10 (left) or 9 (right) Px in Hw. Arculus distal to Ax2. R 4 arising distal to subnodus in both wings, IR 3 at ca half distance between subnodus and Px1, joined to R 4 by a short stalk. Pterostigma approximately trapezoidal with costal side slightly shorter than anal side, as deep as it is long, brown, covering slightly more than one underlying cell.

Abdomen: Largely brown, darkening to rear. S1 mostly brown with a pale basal area laterally. S2 with a pale basal annulus, interrupted dorsally, laterally extended towards, but not quite reaching, the posterior carina as a pale wedge. S3–6 with a narrow pale basal annulus, interrupted along the dorsal midline on S3 but just meeting on S4–6, on S3 this marking extended laterally as a pale streak along the margin of the tergite for most of its length, but becoming indistinct apically, S4–6 similar but the pale streak less well defined on each. S7 without the basal annulus but with an indistinct pale basal mark S8 black with a pair of narrowly separated pale dorsal markings placed centrally ( Figs. 16C View Fig ). S9 black with a basal dorsal pale marking ( Fig. 16C, E View Fig ). S10 black. Anal appendages ( Figs. 17C View Fig , 18A, C View Fig ) largely dark brown and black. Superior appendage slightly more than twice the length of S10, slender but strongly expanded in apical third, with interior projection at ca one third length, dorsal projection well developed and directed inwards ( Fig. 18A View Fig ) so not visible in lateral view ( Fig. 18C View Fig ). In lateral view almost straight along upper margin, slightly down-turned towards tip, strongly dorsal-ventrally expanded in the apical third, the upper inner margin folded down as a triangular flap ( Fig. 18C View Fig ). Inferior appendage ca the same length as superior, stem relatively narrow in ventral view but robust basally in lateral view and down-turned at level of spine ( Fig. 18C View Fig ), scoop abruptly expanded on interior margin and then immediately contracting ( Fig. 17C View Fig ), running roughly straight along outer edge to a sharp tip, the concave surface turned outwards ( Fig. 18C View Fig ), the spine broad and flattened, directed inwards and rearwards, but only slightly upwards ( Fig. 17C View Fig , 18C View Fig ).

Measurements (mm): Abdomen without anal appendages 33.75, superior appendage ca 1.2, Hw 20.

Female. — Unknown

Remarks. — The markings of the holotype were pale green in life, and the eyes were apple green, dark dorsally.

Biological notes. — The unique holotype was collected flying in a sunspot in dense primary mixed dipterocarp forest about 3 m above the ground, some 50 m from the nearest stream. It is evidently very rare and/or fugitive as this locality, close to the KBSFC field station, was surveyed regularly by AGO for nearly five years.

Distribution. — T. belalongensis is known only from the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre in Brunei, where the habitat has been well documented (Cranbrook & Edwards, 1994), (Fig. 21; but also see under T. undetermined A below).