Lestes sublatus, Hagen in Selys, 1862

Belle, J., 1997, The genus Lestes (Odonata: Lestidae) Leach, 1815, in Surinam, Zool. Med. Leiden 71 (11), pp. 89-103 : 94-95

Lestes sublatus Hagen in Selys, 1862

( figs 9 , 28-30 )

Literature.— Selys, 1862: 307-308 (pp. 23-24 of reprint).

Type depository.— Female holotype in the Institut für Systematische Zoologie und Zoologisches Museum, Berlin .

Notes on the female holotype.— Lestes sublatus has been described on the basis of a single female originated from Surinam. No new material of this species has been collected since its description in 1862. In the Selysian collection at Brussels I found in a box with many species of Lestes (box 9 of cabinet 8) the label " Lestes sublata Hagen" in Selys' handwriting but there was no specimen placed under that heading.

The female holotype, borrowed from the Berlin Museum, is a pinned specimen in rather good condition. Attached to the pin are the printed labels "2837", "Typus" and "Zool. Mus. Berlin", and the written labels "Surinam. Cord." (probably in Hagen's writing) and " L. sublata Hag. ♀" (probably in Selys' writing). The extreme tip of the left fore wing and the caudal appendages are broken away. The apical half of the right fore wing and the abdomen are broken off, the tip of the wing being glued on a pin label and the abdomen put in a triangular cellophane envelope attached to the pin. I have added to the pin the written label “ Lestes sublatus Hag. in Sel., 1862 HOLOTYPE ♀ Rev. Jean Belle, 1996".

Redescription of the specimen follows below:

Female (holotype).— Total length ca. 37; abdomen (excl. cerci) 29; hind wing 23; costal edge of stigma in fore wing 1.4, in hind wing 1.8.

Head.— Brownish yellow but superior surface of frons, vertex, top of head (except middle of rear margin) and upper part of cheeks brassy black.

Thorax.— Brownish yellow but superior surface of prothorax brassy black and pterothorax coloured as described in the identification key. Pectoral colour pattern shaped as shown in fig. 9.

Wings — Faintly smoky. Venation brown. Stigma brownish yellow, the one in hind wings longer than the one in fore wings (figs 29 and 30). Postnodal cross-veins 13:13/12:12 in fore and hind wings, respectively. R3 branching at fourth Pn in left fore wing, between third and fourth Pns in right fore wing, at third Pn in left hind wing and between second and third Pns in right hind wing.

Legs.— Femora yellow with longitudinal dark brown stripes at outer sides, the stripes becoming wider toward knees. Tibiae yellow but anterior surface very dark brown. Tarsi and claws almost black.

Abdomen.— Brownish yellow but superior surface of all segments brassy black except for proximal half of segment 1 and more or less at articulations. Apical segments shaped as shown in fig. 28. Hind dorsal margin of segment 10 semicircularly excised in middle.

Remarks.— It is unfortunate that the specifically important caudal appendages are broken away. According to Selys' description these appendages are shorter than abdominal segment 10, brown, subcylindric, bluntly pointed and denticulate. Lestes sublatus is also peculiar in having the stigma on the hind wings notably longer than that on the fore wings.

Range.— Surinam (type locality).

Figures

Fig. 1, Lestes basidens spec, nov.; 2, Lestes mediorufus Calvert; 3, Lestesforficula Rambur; 4, Lestes curvatus spec, nov.; 5, Lestes tenuatus Rambur; 6, Lestes tenuatus Rambur, lectotype; 7, Lestes edentatus spec, nov.; 8, Lestes trichonus spec, nov.; 9, Lestes sublatus Hagen in Selys. 1-9, pectoral colour pattern [12.5 X 0.63],

Fig. 28-30, Lestes sublatus Hagen in Selys; 31-32, Lestes forficula Rambur; 33, Lestes curvatus spec. nov. 28, terminal segments of female abdomen, left lateral aspect [6.3 X 2.5]; 29, 31, stigma of right fore wing [6.3 X 2.5]; 30, 32, stigma of right hind wing [6.3 X 2.5]. 33, caudal appendages of female, dorsal aspect [6.3 X 2.5].