Gomphoides davi Datto-Liberato & Guillermo-Ferreira, 2022

Datto-Liberato, Felipe H. & Guillermo-Ferreira, Rhainer, 2022, A new species of Gomphoides Selys, 1854 (Odonata: Gomphidae) from the Environmental Protection Area of the Uberaba River, Brazil, Zootaxa 5165 (2), pp. 287-293 : 289-292

Gomphoides davi Datto-Liberato & Guillermo-Ferreira , sp. nov.

Specimen examined. Holotype (1♂, BRAZIL, Minas Gerais: Uberaba ( Limo stream, 873m), 18-III-2022, Liberato, F.H.D. leg.

Etymology. This species is named after Rhainer Guillermo Ferreira’s beloved son, Davi Vilarinho Ferreira.

Description of the holotype ( Figures 4–10 ).

Head. Labrum, labium, clypeus and antefrons yellow. Postfrons and vertex black. Occipital bar yellow, with long black setae in a posterior longitudinal row.

Thorax. Prothorax black, with long black hair-like setae on posterior margin. Pterothorax dark brown. Mesepisternum with two yellow stripes, yellow on anterior margin, with long black hair-like setae ( Figure 5 ); mesepimeron with yellow stripe and small setae; metepisternum with yellow stripe, with small black setae; metepimeron with a wide yellow stripe. Legs mostly yellowish brown and black; coxae and trochanters yellowish brown; dorsal-anterior surface of femora yellowish brown and ventroposterior (extensor) surface black; tibiae black; tarsi black; hind femur with several short spines and tibiae with 13 long spines on ventrolateral (extensor) surface.

Wings: hyaline ( Figure 6 ); venation brown to black, pt yellowish brown. Venation: 17 Ax in Fw; 14 Ax in HW; Fw triangle with three cells, subtriangle with four cells; Hw triangle and subtriangle with 3 cells.

Vesica spermalis: vesica spermalis distal segment with two long flagella ( Figure 7 ).

Abdomen. S1–3 mostly yellow; S3–9 yellow anteriorly and black posteriorly; S10 black with a dorsal yellow spot, longer than S9. Hamuli black ( Figure 8 ). Cerci mostly yellow with black anterior margin and ventral projection, lanceolate posteriorly, with black apical blunted tooth ( Figure 9 ). Epiproct black.

Measurements. Total length (including caudal appendages) (60.0); abdomen length (excluding caudal appendages) (38.0); head maximum width (8.15); Fw length (37.0); Hw length (36.30); Hw width (proximal to costal nodus) (9.8); pt length (5.5) in Fw, (5.5) in Hw; length of metathoracic femur (6.0); metathoracic tibia (4.0); total length of cercus in lateral view (1.9); length of epiproct in lateral view (0.8).

Female. Unknown.

Remarks. The male was collected basking at a sunny spot on a tree, with sandy soil below, around dusk (between 17–18h). An intensive survey during twelve days of fieldwork was conducted on the type locality and all around the EPA-UR and no other specimens were found.

Differential diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Gomphoides species ( Figures 10–16 ) by the shape of epiproct and the characters summarized in Table 1 . Gomphoides davi has the shortest epiproct among its congeners, and the unique combination of four cells in Fw subtriangle and four cells in the Hw anal loop. Gomphoides davi resembles G. perdita , but it is distinguished from the latter by the S10 black, yellow in G. perdita ; four cells in the subtriangle of Fw, there are three cells in G. perdita ; epiproct shorter than half of the length of cerci, while epiproct is more than half the length of the cerci in G. perdita . Dorsal projections on S8–9 are more pronounced in G. davi are similar to G. perdita , more pronounced in G. infumata . Lateral flanges well developed in G. praevia , when compared to the other three species. Vesica spermalis of G. davi is similar to the other three species.

The fact that this species was found in an area under environmental protection gives hope for the conservation of its biodiversity, but at the same time raises an alarming concern due to the increasing impacts and threats to the rivers and streams of the Uberaba River basin ( Valera et al. 2016). The EPA-UR has areas occupied by degraded pastures ( Vieira et al. 2021), which increase soil erosion and impact water resources and aquatic biodiversity ( Valera et al. 2016, 2019).

The distribution of all four Gomphoides species and the recent new records, including the species here described, shows that collection gaps for Neotropical gomphids is still an issue that requires attention ( Figure 17 ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Gomphoides davi Datto-Liberato & Guillermo-Ferreira, sp. nov. Male habitus. Bar = 20mm.

FIGURES 5–9. Gomphoides davi Datto-Liberato & Guillermo-Ferreira, sp. nov. Coloration pattern of thorax in dorsal view (5); Fw and Hw (6); vesica spermalis in ventral and lateral views (7); hamuli in lateral view (8); male appendages in lateral and dorsal views (9).

FIGURE 10–16. Gomphoides infumata, male from REGUA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (10), cerci and epiproct in lateral view (11) (© Tom Kompier); G. perdita, male from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil (12), cerci and epiproct in lateral view (13) (© Diogo Vilela); G. praevia, male holotype, habitus in dorsal view (14), cerci and epiproct in lateral (15) and dorsal (16) views (© NHMW NoaS Image Collection / Harald Bruckner).

FIGURE 17. Distribution of the hitherto known species of Gomphoides in South America, based on minimal convex polygons using sites of occurrence.