Lestes demarcoi sp. nov. Lencioni & Neiss

Fig. 14 (♂ —App), Fig. 26 (♂ —habitus), Fig. 34 (♀ —habitus), Fig. 35 (Head), Fig. 36 (Thorax), Fig. 37 (H— ♀ S8–S10), Fig. 38 (H— ♀ basal plate), Fig. 40 (N— ♀ pectoral color pattern), Fig. 41 (Penis).

Holotype. ♂ (UFPA, NC 4725), Brazil: Amazonas State: Manaus; Reserva Adolpho Ducke, puddle with leaves, Acará trail, collected in tandem with the allotype, 02º55’46”S & 59º58’22”W, 62 m. a.s.l., 13–IV–2009, U.G. Neiss leg.

Paratype. 1 ♂ (FAAL, NC 4324); Brazil: Amazonas State: Manaus, Acamp. Colosso, Paulo De Marco Jr. leg.

Allotype ♀ (UFPA), same data as holotype.

Etymology. We named this species in honor of Prof. Dr. Paulo De Marco Júnior, professor at the Universidade Federal de Goiás, friend and encourager of the work of all authors, and mainly for his dedication to science in the last four decades.

Description of holotype. Head. Labrum and anteclypeus sky blue, genae and outer surface of mandible greenish–blue, postclypeus dark brown to black, epicranium anterior 2/3 (up to the level of lateral ocellus) black with metallic green reflections, posterior 1/3 reddish–brown (Fig. 35A), rear of head pale yellow, antennae: scape, ventral half of pedicel and flagellum brown, dorsal half of pedicel black (Fig. 35A). Labium and maxillae pale yellow.

Thorax. Prothorax brown, with two pale blue spots on each side (Fig. 35A); pterothorax: middorsal carina brown, followed by a brown middorsal stripe which is followed by a black with green metallic reflections stripe, which is followed by a narrow brown stripe followed by a broad pale blue stripe limited ventrally by the mesopleural suture; metepisternum brown, metepimeron, metinfraepisternum pale blue (Fig. 36A). Legs: coxae pale blue, external surface of femora, tarsi and tarsal claws black, external surface of tibiae and internal surface of femora and tibiae pale.

Abdomen. S1–S8 dorsally black with the exception of basal 2/3 of S1 blue, a narrow pale medial line in S2 and a pale basal annulus in S2–8, bluish laterally, S9 dark brown dorso–laterally with 2 pale dots in each side, S10 dark brown. Penis as in Fig. 41. Appendages black.

Measurements (in mm). Total length (incl. apps) 44: abdomen (incl. apps) 35, hindwing 22, cerci 2.00, paraprocts 0.8.

Description of allotype. Head. Labrum sky blue, genae and outer surface of mandible greenish–blue, anteclypeus dark blue, postclypeus dark brown to black, epicranium anterior 2/3 (up to the level of lateral ocellus) black with metallic green reflections, posterior 1/3 reddish brown (Fig. 35B), rear of head pale, antennae: scape, ventral 3/5 of pedicel pale, 2/5 dorsal of pedicel and flagellum brown, (Fig. 35B). Labium and maxillae pale.

Thorax. Prothorax and thorax as in holotype (Fig. 36B). Legs: coxae pale blue, external surface of femora pale with a fine black longitudinal line, tibiae pale, tarsi and tarsal claws black, internal surface of femora and tibiae pale.

Abdomen. S1–8 dorsally dark brown to black with the exception of basal 1/3 of S1 blue, a narrow pale basal annulus in S2–8, S1–8 bluish laterally, S3–6 the dark dorsal area expanded laterally near the apex, in S7 the dark dorsal area expanded laterally in both extremities, S9–10 dark brown. Valves of ovipositor brown and cerci black.

Measurements (in mm). Total length (incl. apps) 42: abdomen 33, hindwing 23.

Differential diagnosis. The easiest character to separate all Brazilian species from Lestes demarcoi is, the male’s cerci. Using this character, males of the new species form a cohesive group with L. falcifer and L. pictus, but in L. demarcoi the cercus is much longer than the length of S10, compared with the other two species.

The paraproct of L. demarcoi is shorter than half the length of the cercus, while in the other two species is longer. In mediodorsal view, the apical portion of the cercus of L. demarcoi is ovoid while in the other two is finger–like.

We suggest caution in determining Lestes females when they are collected not associated with males and we suggest the joint use of pectoral color patterns (Fig. 39) with the shape of the basal plates of the ovipositor (Fig. 38) for it.

The female of the new species belongs, together with L. minutus, in a group where the posterior and ventral sides of the basal plate of ovipositor are divided in two sections each. Lestes demarcoi differs from L. minutus in having the posterior section of the ventral side smaller than the anterior section.