Planaeschna laoshanensis, Zhang, Hao-Miao, Yeh, Wen-Chi & Tong, Xiao-Li, 2010

Zhang, Hao-Miao, Yeh, Wen-Chi & Tong, Xiao-Li, 2010, Descriptions of two new species of the genus Planaeschna from China (Odonata: Anisoptera: Aeshnidae), Zootaxa 2674, pp. 51-60 : 51-55

Planaeschna laoshanensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–8 , 28 )

Material examined. Holotype: male, Mt. Laoshan (36º09'N, 120º37'E), Shandong Province, China. Wang Yang leg., 25.IX.2008. Paratype: male, same data as holotype. Types are deposited in the Collection of Aquatic Insects and Soil Animal, Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.

Species Recorded localities and sources

Planaeschna taiwana Asahina, 1951 Taiwan ( Asahina, 1951)

Planaeschna risi risi Asahina, 1964 Taiwan ( Asahina, 1964) and Fujian ( Lieftinck et al., 1984) Planaeschna suichangensis Zhou & Wei, 1980 Fujian ( Karube, 2002), Zhejiang ( Zhou & Wei, 1980), Guangdong ( Wilson & Xu, 2008), and Guangxi ( Wilson, 2005)

Planaeschna ishigakiana flavostria Yeh, 1996 Taiwan ( Yeh, 1996)

Planaeschna celia Wilson & Reels, 2001 Hainan ( Wilson & Reels, 2001)

Planaeschna shanxiensis Zhu & Zhang, 2001 Shanxi ( Zhu & Zhang, 2001)

Planaeschna gressitti Karube, 2002 Guangdong ( Karube, 2002)

Planaeschna maolanensis Zhao & Bao, 2002 Guizhou (Zhao & Bao, 2002)

Planaeschna haui Wilson & Xu, 2008 Guangdong and Guangxi ( Wilson & Xu, 2008) Planaeschna nanlingensis Wilson & Xu, 2008 Guangdong ( Wilson & Xu, 2008) Planaeschna skiaperipola Wilson & Xu, 2008 Guangdong and Hong Kong ( Wilson & Xu, 2008) Planaeschna liui Xu, Chen et Qui, 2009 Fujian (Xu, Chen et Qui, 2009)

Etymology. The species name refers to the type locality, Mt. Laoshan, Shandong Province, China.

Diagnosis. The following combination of characters which identify this species include: black abdominal S1 with no pale markings; male superior appendages laterally retain the same thickness along its length, with an obtuse angulation at basal 1/5, and become only slightly thickened at apical 1/3; apical segment of male penis with low lateral flange smoothly curving towards apex and lacking protruding ear-shaped lobes.

Holotype —Male: Head mainly black with yellow markings ( Fig. 1 ). Labium yellow, dark brown at margin and lateral lobes, labrum brown with a transverse median yellow band, base of mandible with a rounded yellow spot. Anteclypeus entirely black, postclypeus yellow with a large and triangular black central spot connecting with black anterior margin. Frons yellow laterally and black in front with a black " T " mark dorsally, upper margin of frons medially protruding upwards. Occiput black, fringed with long hairs at margin.

Prothorax black. Synthorax black adorned with greenish yellow markings as follows: dorsal stripes on mesepisternum cone-shaped and attenuated toward lower end; broad stripe on mesepimeron, a small triangular spot close to upper margin of metepisternum, almost entire metepimeron; a small spot on both mesokatepisternum and posterior area of metakatepisternum ( Fig. 2 ). Legs black, coxae pale brown.

Wings hyaline. Triangle 3-celled in both wing pairs, anal loop 6 or 7-celled, anal triangle 3-celled. Pterostigma black, 3.0 mm in length. Nodal index: 12: 20: 20: 13 / 16: 14: 16: 15.

Abdomen black with yellow or greenish yellow markings. S1 entirely black ( Figs. 2–3 ). S2 with a triangular AD, paired MD and PD spots dorsally, and lateral side with large irregular AML spot covering auricle, small PL and a tiny indistinct spot at apico-ventral corner ( Figs. 2–3 ). S3 with narrow and linear AD spot occupying basal 1/3, triangular MD spots and oval PD spots, MD spots extending downwards and connecting to large and transversely rectangular AML spots. S4–S7 with triangular MD and oval PD spots, MD spots of each segment extending downwards to link with ML spots and as in S3 forming a complete middle ring. S4–S8 ventrally with paired rectangular spots. S8–S10 with a pair of small and round PD and a round spots at antero-ventral corner. Dorsal side of S10 with a triangularly projected carina at base ( Figs. 3 , 8 ).

Anal appendages black. Superior appendages, when viewed laterally, gently curved upwards with extreme apex directing slightly downwards, and thickened slightly at apical 1/3, lower margin with an obtuse angulation at basal 1/5; in dorsal view, superior appendages spatulate, narrow at basal 1/4 and expanded at apical 3/4, apex pointed. Inferior appendage 1/2 as long as superior appendages gently curved upwards towards apex in lateral view, dorsal side with a small apical projection and a shallow longitudinal groove ( Figs. 4–5 ).

Apical penile segment apically deeply and triangularly notched in ventral view, with lateral flange, when viewed laterally, smoothly curving towards apex and lacking protruding ear-shaped lobes. A deeply colored plate embedded at base of apical penile segment extending towards and touching third penile segment ( Figs. 6–7 ).

Female: Unknown.

Measurements (mm). Holotype: total length 68.0; abdomen (including anal appendages) 53.0; hind wing 42.0. Paratype: total length 71.0; abdomen (including anal appendages) 55.0; hind wing 43.5.

Distribution. Shandong Province, China.

Comments. The abdominal maculation of this new species is similar to P. ishigakiana ( Fig. 9 ), P. maolanensis Zhao & Bao, 2002 ( Fig. 10 ), P. skiaperipola ( Fig. 11 ) and P. shanxiensis Wilson & Xu, 2008 ( Fig. 12 ). All of these species have well developed pale markings of both MD and PD spots on abdominal S3– S7 but only PD spots on S8 and S9, and in males the lateral sides of S2 are usually largely black marked with three yellow spots, one anteriorly and two posteriorly. They also have in common spatulate male superior appendages with pointed apex. The male superior appendage of P. laoshanensis , when viewed laterally, looks most similar to that of P. skiaperipola ( Figs. 13–14 ), in which a basal angulation or protuberance can be recognized. Furthermore, the facial patterns of these two species are also very similar. However, several minor, but reliable, features can be used to separate P. laoshanensis from P. skiaperipola . These include: metepisternum without a yellow stripe, black abdominal S1 with no pale markings, MD spots connecting with ML spots and forming ring-shaped patterns on abdominal S3–S7 ( Figs. 3 , 8 ). In addition, the male anal appendages of P. laoshanensis is different from P. skiaperipola , superior appendage of P. laoshanensis has narrower apical expansion, whose thickest part is located at apical 1/5 rather than 1/3 as in P. skiaperipola , and inferior appendage with peculiar characteristics for P. laoshanensis which is shorter and more robust than in P. skiaperipola , the apex is truncate rather than the attenuated apex in P. skiaperipola

P. laoshanensis is close to P. nanlingensis which also possesses spatulate male superior appendages and yellow rings on abdominal S3–S7 ( Wilson & Xu, 2008), however the abdominal S1 black and presence of PD spots on S8 and S 9 in P. laoshanensis could be easily separated from P. nanlingensis .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Planaeschna laoshanensis sp. nov., holotype male: (1) head, frontal view; (2) synthorax and abdominal S 1 & S 2, lateral view; (3) abdomen, dorsal view; (4) anal appendages, lateral view; (5) ditto, dorsal view; (6) male penis, ventral view; (7) ditto, lateral view.

FIGURES 8 – 14. 8 – 12, abdominal maculations of Chinese Planaeschna, lateral view: (8) P. laoshanensis sp. nov.; (9) P. ishigakiana flavostria Yeh; (10) P. maolanensis Zhou & Bao; (11) P. skiaperipola Wilson & Xu; (12) P. shanxiensis Zhu & Zhang. (13) anal appendages of P. skiaperipola Wilson & Xu, dorsal (14) ditto, lateral view.

FIGURES 28 – 33. (28) Planaeschna laoshanensis sp. nov., male, lateral view; 29 – 33, Planaeschan nankunshanensis sp. nov.: (29) female, head; (30) male, lateral view; (31) male, dorsal view; (32) female, lateral view; (33) final stadium larva, female, dorsal view.