Nososticta chrismulleri Theischinger & Richards, 2016

Theischinger, Günther, Mitchell, Andrew, Richards, Stephen J. & Polhemus, Dan A., 2023, Systematics of the Nososticta salomonis complex (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platycnemididae), Zootaxa 5296 (2), pp. 101-146 : 115-120

Nososticta chrismulleri Theischinger & Richards, 2016

( Figs 24–29 , 63 , Map 4 , Pl. 3)

Nososticta chrismulleri Theischinger & Richards, 2016: 309 .

Material examined. Holotype ♁, Papua New Guinea, Western Province , Palmer River Catchment , upper Fly River basin, Camp 4 (5°54.477’S, 141°50.773’E; 125 m a.s.l.), 02-viii-2013, S.J. Richards ( SAMA 07-001449 ); 2 ♁♁, same data as holotype ( SAMA 07-001592 - 93 ).

Affinities. Based on the present study ( Fig. 6 ), N. chrismulleri is sister group to the remaining taxa of the Western group of species ( N. tagula sp. nov., N. stueberi sp. nov. and N. boonei sp. nov.).

Differential diagnosis. Nososticta chrismulleri was compared to, and distinguished from, N. salomonis by Theischinger & Richards (2016) as follows: “by the spotted anterior lobe of the pronotum, the markedly longer blue ante-humeral patch, and the lack of a step in the blue mesepimeral patch.” Nososticta chrismulleri is a mainland (New Guinea) species as opposed to the almost exclusively insular species N. africana , N. tagula sp. nov., N. hedigeri sp. nov. and N. salomonis . Whereas the lack of a pale dorsal marking on segment 2 distinguishes the male of N. chrismulleri from N. africana and N. tagula sp. nov. and the lack of a long black basal stalk between the ante-hu meral patches distinguishes it from N. hedigeri sp. nov., an anterodorsally convex metepimeral patch separates the male of N. chrismulleri from N. salomonis (metepimeral patch anterodorsally straight). The male of N. chrismulleri from Western Province is most similar to N. boonei sp. nov. from Gulf Province. It can be distinguished from that species by the following characters: inner and apical margin of the blue ante-humeral patch and the anterior margin of the blue metepimeral patch are more curved/sinuous in male N. chrismulleri than in N. boonei sp. nov.; and blue markings on S7 are lacking in N. chrismulleri , present in N. boonei sp. nov. Nososticta chrismulleri can be separated from N. stueberi sp. nov. by the markedly longer ante-humeral patch and the markedly darker poststernum.

Distribution and habitats. Nososticta chrismulleri is currently known only from the lowlands of Western Province, Papua New Guinea ( Map 4 , Pl. 3), where males perched on low foliage in sunny patches along small, clear-flowing streams in primary lowland forest.

Figures

MAP 4.—Distribution of species of the Nososticta salomonis complex on mainland New Guinea.

FIGURE 6. Bayesian tree from concatenated (all genes) data set. Numbers above branches are BI posterior probabilities and ML bootstrap values shown only if ≥ 0.9 and 70%, respectively.

FIGURES 24–25. Nososticta chrismulleri Theischinger & Richards, male: (24) Holotype plus labels; (25) synthorax, lateral.

FIGURES 26–29. Nososticta chrismulleri Theischinger & Richards, male: (26) in life; (27, 28) synthorax: (27) lateral; (28) schematically; (29) superior anal appendage.

FIGURES 55–65. Nososticta species. (55, 56) male abdominal segment 2, dorsal: (55) N. africana (Schmidt); (56) N. tagula sp. nov.; (57–65) synthorax, schematically: (57) N. africana (Schmidt), female; (58) N. tagula sp. nov., female; (59, 60) N. hedigeri sp. nov.: (59) male; (60) female; (61, 62) N. stueberi sp. nov.: (61) male; (62) female; (63) N. chrismulleri Theischinger & Richards, male; (64, 65) N. boonei sp. nov.: (64) female; (65) male.