Calicnemia akahara, Phan, Quoc Toan, Kompier, Tom & Karube, Haruki, 2017

Phan, Quoc Toan, Kompier, Tom & Karube, Haruki, 2017, Description of two new Calicnemia from Vietnam and central Laos with notes on their congeners in Vietnam (Odonata: Platycnemididae), Zootaxa 4232 (3), pp. 409-420 : 409-412

Calicnemia akahara sp. nov.

( Figures 1 A–B; 2A–C)

Etymology. The specific name akahara means red abdomen in Japanese and refers to the completely red abdomen of this species, by which it can be identified from the strikingly similar C. miles (in outward appearance).

Type material. Holotype ♂, Maria estrade, Bao Loc mountain pass, Lam Dong Prov., S. Vietnam, 16.III.2015, Van Dang leg. ; ♀ allotype, A Luoi Nature Reserve, Thua Thien – Hue Prov. , C. Vietnam, 18–19.IX.2015, Haruki Karube leg. ; Paratypes: 1 ♂, date, location and collector as for the male holotype and 1♂, date, location and collector as for the female allotype; 3♂, Hon Ba Nature Reserve , Khanh Hoa Prov., S. Vietnam, 22.VI.2008, Haruki Karube leg. ; 3♂, Giang Ly , Lam Dong Prov., S. Vietnam, 29.IV.2015, Haruki Karube leg.

Description of holotype male. Head. Labrum, clypeus, mandibles, genae dark red, the red color pattern extending to the level of the base of antennae, covering the lower half of the antefrons. Basal segment of antennae black, but outward surface orange; the second and third segments dark orange; the remainder entirely black. Dorsum of head matte black with two large orange stripes extending from the edge of the eye to the vertex and in depth from the level of the antennae to the posterior ocelli, but vertex itself matte black. Posterior side of head black with two yellowish oblong spots. Thorax. Prothorax entirely black but for a small yellowish spot towards posterior margin of lateral lobe. Propleuron black with large yellow spot on posterior part, as extension of antehumeral stripe of synthorax. Synthorax matte black with three conspicuous stripes as Fig. 1 A. Antehumeral stripe reddish, thick and long, extending to posterior border of mesepisternum. A distinct yellow stripe on metepisternum just above metapleural suture and another along ventral edge of metepimeron. From just dorsal of metapleural suture downwards, thorax dusted somewhat with pale pruinosity. Legs. Coxae orange, lightly pruinose on outward surface. Femora and tibiae reddish; tarsi and claws black. Wings hyaline; 17 postnodal crossveins in forewing and 14 in hindwing. Pterostigma brownish, covering about 1.5 underlying cells. Abdomen. S1 orange with black dorsum, all other segments bright red, S2–3 with posterior intersegmental black ring, increasingly pale from S3 to S6. Anal appendages ( Fig. 2 A–B) red, typical form for the genus. Cerci with an obvious bifurcated ventral tooth at midpoint (with obliquely truncated apex); paraprocts almost twice length of cerci, curving downward at tip at about 70 degree angle. Genital ligula ( Fig. 2 C) bifurcate distal to base with two slender and long apical flagella.

Measurement (mm). Abdomen including anal appendages 34; Hindwing 25.

Female. Body pattern somewhat different from male as follows: transverse stripes on dorsum of head narrower than those of male; propleuron completely yellow, whereas mostly dark in male; antehumeral stripe yellowish, slender; metepisternum and metepimeron almost completely yellow, black of mesepisternum extending over antehumeral suture somewhat onto metepimeron and with thick black line covering posterior half of metapleural suture. ( Fig. 1 B). Wings hyaline, 15 postnodal cross veins in forewings and 13 in hindwings. Pterostigma brownish. Coxae of legs entirely yellowish, without pruinosity; legs orange. Abdomen with S1 yellow, remainder orange-red, S8–10 darker reddish with dark dorsal markings. Ovipositor reddish.

Measurement (mm). Abdomen including anal appendages 27; Hindwing 21.

Variation in paratype males. Coloration of transverse stripes on dorsum of head and of antehumeral stripe darker red in several paratypes.

Diagnosis. C. akahara sp. nov. is easily separated from similar C. sinensis Lieftinck, 1984 , by the shape of the genital ligula with narrow, deeply incised genital lobe and long curved apical flagella ( Fig. 2 C). In C. sinensis the lobe is broader and less deeply incised and the flagella strongly twisted ( Fig. 2 F). The antehumeral stripe is thicker than in C. sinensis . Moreover, in C. akahara sp. nov., the cerci are short, only as long as S10 ( Fig. 2 A), but in C. sinensis , the cerci are longer than S10 ( Fig. 2 D).

Although C. sinensis is widespread in China and has high morphological variation, ranging from having a very dark, pruinose to reddish thoracic and abdominal color pattern ( Yu & Bu, 2013: 250, Figs. 4 –13), all specimens of C. akahara sp. nov. have the same body color pattern as Fig. 1 A–B. Pattern of C. akahara sp. nov. is somewhat similar to specimens of C. sinensis in Hunan and Chongan, Fujian ( Yu & Bu, 2013: 250, Figs. 5 , 8 , 12, 13).

In Vietnam C. akahara can be most easily confused with C. miles (Laidlaw, 1917) , and it is also similar to C. zhuae Zhang & Yang, 2008 , C. guilinensis Yu & Bu, 2008 , C. porcata Yu & Bu, 2008 , and C. chaoi Wilson, 2004 , from Shaanxi, Sichuan and Guangdong provinces in southern China. These species all have a genital ligula placing them squarely in group 2, although their color pattern is almost identical.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Calicnemia spp. (A, B), C. akahara sp. nov., male & female; (C), C. hamata sp. nov., holotype male; (D), Calicnemia sp., female (Xieng Khoang, Phonesavan Prov., Laos, 13 – 23. V. 2004, T. Mizusawa leg.).

FIGURE 2. Structure of Calicnemia spp. [A – C], C. akahara sp. nov., holotype & [D – F], C. sinensis (Nanling Reserve, Guangdong, China, 16. VII. 2009, Haomiao Zhang leg.). Anal appendages in (A, D), lateral and (B, E), oblique – dorsal view; (C, F), genital ligula in dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. Structure of Calicnemia spp. [A – C] C. erythromelas (Pia Oac); [D – F] C. eximia (Pia Oac); [G – J] C. miles (Pia Oac). Anal appendages in (A, D, G), lateral and (B, E, H), oblique-dorsal view; genital ligula in (C), oblique-dorsal, (F, I), dorsal and (J), lateral view.

FIGURE 5. Structure of Calicnemia spp. [A – D] C. haksik (Pia Oac); [E – H], C. uenoi (Sa Pa). Anal appendages in (A, E), lateral and (B, F), oblique – dorsal view; genital ligula in (C, G), dorsal and (D, H), lateral view.

FIGURE 8. Calicnemia soccifera in nature. (A), mature male; (B), immature male; (C), immature female. Photographed by Tom Kompier in Nam Bung, Yen Bai Prov., 30. IV. 2014.