Planaeschna nankunshanensis, 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 : 55-59

Planaeschna nankunshanensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 15–27 & 29–33 )

Material examined. Holotype male, Nankunshan (23º38'N, 113º50'E), Guangdong Province, China, Zhang Hao-miao leg., 16.IX.2008. Paratypes: 1male and 1female, same data as the hototype; 1 female, Conghua (23º41'N, 113º47'E), Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, Zhang Hao-miao leg., 5.XI.2008. Holotype and female paratype (Nankunshan) are deposited at the Collection of Aquatic Insects and Soil Animal, Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China. Two paratypes (female and male) collected from Conghua, Guangzhou are deposited at the Insect Collection at the Division of Forest Protection, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan.

Additional material. Two female larvae, Nankunshan, Guangdong Province, China, Zhang Hao-miao leg., 16.IX.2008. One larva emerged at 19.V. 2009 in laboratory.

Etymology. The species name refers to the type locality, Mt. Nankunshan, Guangdong Province, China.

Diagnosis. This following combination of characters characterize this species: broad frons; abdominal maculation reduced, in S5–S7 or S8 with only MD spots and in S8 or S9–S10 with no pale markings (shared by P. chiengmaiensis Asahina, 1981 and P. cucphuongensis Karube, 1999 ); male superior appendage shaped as a steak knife, with narrow and short basal stalk, ca. 1/5 as long as the appendage, and long and broad apical expansion with obtuse apex; apical penile segment with ear-shaped lobes situating midway along lateral margin and protruding dorsally; female cerci as long as abdominal S9+S10, lateral side of abdominal S2 medially with broad and transverse yellow band (shared by P. haui ).

Holotype —Male: Head predominantly black with yellow markings. Labium brown, labrum dark brown with a middle yellow band. Anteclypeus black, postclypeus yellow with large brown central patch and paired black pits near anterior margin. Frons protruding upwards medially at upper margin with dense long hairs, anterior side black and wrinkled, lateral sides yellow and dorsal side dark brown ( Fig. 15 ). Occiput black with long hairs at margin.

Prothorax dark. Synthorax black with greenish yellow markings as follows: mesepisternum with dorsal stripes slightly divergent from each other and becoming narrower gradually towards acute lower end, mesepimeron with broad and parallel-sided stripes, metepisternum with a small triangular spot near upper margin, and metepimeron predominantly greenish yellow. Mesokatepisternum with a spot, metakatepisternum with a spot at posterior side ( Fig. 19 ). Legs mainly black, coxae pale brown.

Wings hyaline. Triangle 4-celled in both wing pairs, anal loop 6 or 7-celled, anal triangle 3-celled. Pterostigma black, 2.2 mm in length in fore wing and 2.0 mm in hind wing. Nodal index: 16: 21: 22: 15 / 18: 15: 15: 16.

Abdomen black with yellow markings. S1 with an irregular lateral spot. Dorsal side of S2 with triangular AD spot, paired MD and PD spots, area between MD and PD spot with a slender and longitudinal central stripe, lateral side of S2 with large AML spot covering auricle and protruding upwards at one side, and two transverse PD spots, upper one large r and transversely elongate and lower one smaller. S3 dorsally with a slender longitudinal stripe at basal 1/2, and laterally with a large triangular AML spot and a small round PL spot. S3–S7 with paired triangular MD spots not extending towards both sides, S3 & S4 with paired PD spots and S4–S8 with paired rectangular ventral spots. S9 & S10 entirely black ( Fig. 19 ).

Anal appendages black. Superior appendage, in dorsal view, looking like a steak knife, with narrow and short basal stalk, ca. 1/5 as long as the appendage, long and broad apical expansion and obtuse apex; in lateral view, lower margin of the appendage convex at basal 1/4 and becoming smoothly attenuate thereafter towards apex. Inferior appendage less than 1/2 as long as superior appendage, gently curved upwards in lateral view, with a small apical projection, and triangular in shape in dorsal view, with a shallow and longitudinal dorsal groove ( Figs. 17–18 ).

Paratype —Male: General appearance is similar to holotype. Some minor variations are noted as follows: a tiny yellow spot at center of metepisternum below upper spot, a yellow dot locating close to lower margin in lateral side of abdominal S1, and a paired transverse MD spots on S8.

Female: Head and thorax similarly colored as in the male ( Figs 16, 20 ), but some differences are noted as follows: wings hyaline or with area beyond triangles smoky, and base tinted amber as far as arculus. S2 with two broad transverse bands at centre and lower margin of lateral side, S3 with large and transversely rectangular AML spot; S4–S8 with irregular ML spots, S3–S6 with oval PL spots, the one in S6 tiny and indistinct. Cerci extraordinarily long among the known congeners and as long as S9+S10 ( Fig. 20 ).

Larvae: Body 36.0 mm, abdomen (including anal appendages) 24.0 mm, maximum head width 6.0 mm, hind femur 8.0 mm, hind wing sheath 7.5 mm.

Head pentagonal in shape, dark brown in color with black spots. Compound eyes broadly protruding antero-laterally, occipital with lateral margin slightly converging inwards with postero-lateral corner obtusely angled. Labium narrow and elongate, prementum long and narrow, median lobe prominent with a pair of teeth at apical margin; inner margin of internal lobe finely serrate. End hook truncate apically with inner corner protruding inwards into a short tooth; movable hook long and sharp, apex dark ( Fig. 23 ). Labrum, clypeus and antefrons brown in color with black spots, ocellar triangle brown ( Fig. 24 ). Antennae filiform and 7- segmented ( Fig. 25 ), length ratio of each segments read as follows: 0.17: 0.38: 0.45: 0.23: 0.30: 0.25: 0.27.

Thorax dark brown. Pronotum trapezoid. Synthorax brown, with smooth surface. Legs pale brown with black bands, tarsi 3-segmented. Wing sheathes parallel, hind wing sheathes reaching the middle of abdominal S4.

Abdomen brown, with a large and conspicuous white spot on S4 & S5, and a round white spot on S8. Lateral spines present on S6–S9, directing backwards and with acutely pointed apex; lateral spines of S7 reaching its basal 1/3, in S8 basal 1/2 and in S9 basal 3/4. Dorsal hook absent. Cerci reaching basal 3/5 of epiproct, epiproct apically deeply bifid and reaching basal 2/3 of paraproct ( Fig. 27 ). Female primary genitalia (ovipositor) reaching basal 2/5 of abdominal S10 ( Fig. 26 ).

Measurements (mm). Holotype male: total length 67.0; abdomen (including appendages) 52.0; hind wing 45.0. Paratype: male, total length 65.0, abdomen (ditto) 55.0, hind wing 43.0; female, total length 68.5– 71.0, abdomen (including cerci) 53.5–57.0, hind wing 46.5–48.0, cerci 7.0.

Distribution. Guangdong Province, China.

Comments. P. nankunshanensis is well-characterized by the combined features noted in the diagnosis, and seems to have no close relative within its genus. The male superior appendages of P. nankunshanensis are similar to P. chiengmaiensis when viewed laterally. However, the male superior appendage of P. nankunshanensis in dorsal view has a narrower and shorter basal stalk, which expands more abruptly into dilated apical portion, and more roundly shaped apex. The pale-brownish face and pale lateral side of abdominal S1 and S 2 in P. chiengmaiensis will also easily separate it from P. nankunshanensis . It is also easy to distinguish P. nankunshanensis from P. cucphuongensis by superior appendage, P. cucphuongensis has more strongly curved superior appendages which widened at apical 2/3.

P. nankunshanensis runs close to P. ishigakiana based on the key by Wilson & Xu (2008), but they are quite easy to distinguish. The male superior appendage of P. ishigakiana commences its expansion ca 1/4 from base and with more attenuate apical part and pointed apex, while in P. nankunshanensis , it is ca 1/5 from base and apically more roundly shaped with obtuse apex. The well-developed pale markings of both MD and PD spots on the abdomen of P. ishigakiana are easily separated it from P. nankunshanensis which has only MD spots on abdominal segments.

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 22. Planaeschna nankunshanensis sp. nov., 15, 17 – 19, 21 – 22, holotype male; 16, 20, paratype female: (15) head, frontal view; (16) ditto; (17) anal appendages, dorsal view; (18) ditto, lateral view; (19) synthorax and abdomen, lateral view; (20) ditto; (21) male penis, lateral view, (22) ditto, ventral view.

FIGURES 23 – 27. Planaeschan nankunshanensis sp. nov., final stadium larva, female: (23) labium, ventral view; (24) head and pronotum, dorsal view; (25) left antenna; (26) apical abdominal segments, ventral view; (27) ditto, dorsal 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.