Metaleptobasis peltata, Ellenrieder, 2013

Ellenrieder, Natalia Von, 2013, A revision of Metaleptobasis Calvert (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) with seven synonymies and the description of eighteen new species from South America , Zootaxa 3738 (1), pp. 1-155 : 62-64

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3738.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:77D1A6F6-C320-442B-AF31-83324E5EAF3B
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E187ED-660B-FF87-D7A8-FA20E0DBFC17
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Metaleptobasis peltata
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Metaleptobasis peltata View in CoL new species

Figs. 1w View FIGURE 1 ; 3w View FIGURE 3 ; 4w View FIGURE 4 ; 5w View FIGURE 5 ; 8w View FIGURE 8 ; 9v View FIGURE 9 ; 10w View FIGURE 10 ; 11w View FIGURE 11 ; 12w View FIGURE 12 ; 13j View FIGURE 13 ; 14f

Etymology. From Latin peltata (adjective), meaning 'armed with a crescent shaped shield', referring to the very large semicircular male genital lobe.

Types. ( all *) Holotype ♂: PERU, Loreto Dep., Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve (4°21'22''S, 73°11'0''W), 19 ii 2010, TF leg. [ RMNH]; 1 ♂, 2 ♀ paratypes, same data as holotype [ TF]; 3 ♂ paratypes, same data but (4°21'22''S, 73°10'0''W), 20 ii 2010 [ TF]; 1 ♂ paratype, same data but (4°23'49''S, 73°14'57''W), 25 ii 2010, T. Faasen [ TF]; 1 ♂ paratype, same data but (4°22'22''S, 73°11'9''W), 6 viii 2009, T. Faasen [ TF]. GoogleMaps

Specimens examined. 7 ♂, 2 ♀.

Description of male holotype. Labium and rear of head ivory; base of mandible pale bluish yellow with a brown spot; labrum pale brown with yellow free margin and with black line along latero-basal margins; gena pale bluish grey with a brown spot to the side of antefrons; anteclypeus pale bluish grey with a pair of medio-lateral brown spots; postclypeus distal half black, basal half pale brown; antefrons pale bluish grey; postfrons and epicranium black with metallic green reflections and orange pale spots and stripes as depicted in Fig. 1w i View FIGURE 1 ; eyes dark brown, in life bright green with a bright orange postero-dorsal area ( Fig. 13j i View FIGURE 13 ); postocular lobes rounded. Thorax. Color as described for genus, with mid-dorsal dark stripe on pterothorax black with metallic greenish-blue reflections, wider than inter-laminal sinus, maximum width behind mesanepisternal horns, sides straight, gradually and slightly narrowing posteriorly, extended along sides of antealar sinus ( Fig. 3w i View FIGURE 3 ). Pronotum anterior lobe ( Figs. 4w i View FIGURE 4 ; 5w i View FIGURE 5 ) smooth; anterior and middle lobes of pronotum separated dorso-laterally by a groove; anterior area of propleuron smooth; dorsum of middle lobe of pronotum smooth; anterior margin of middle lobe of pronotum with an antero-lateral laminar tongue-like lobe on each side, as long as twice its width, with rounded tip and posterior surface slightly concave; pronotum posterior lobe trilobed, with medial lobe smoothly convex and lateral lobes narrowing to free angled lateral corners, as long as 0.50 of medial lobe. Mesanepisternal horns with bases separated, horns as long as 1.2 times mesostigmal plate width, thin, cylindrical, diverging from each other in posterior view, directed antero-dorsally at an angle of 45° with dorsum in lateral view, ending on a bluntly pointed tip. Wings hyaline, veins reddish brown; Pt short rectangular, with anterior and posterior sides slightly longer than distal side, and membrane pale reddish brown margined by white; 13 pnx in Fw and in Hw. Abdomen. Postmortem background color pale yellow on S1–7, orange on S8–10; S1 with a dark reddish brown dorso-posterior spot and latero-ventral margin of terga margined in black; dorsum of S2 reddish brown and of S3–7 dark reddish brown, with a basal pale incomplete ring at anterior edge interrupted by dorso-longitudinal dark line, on S2 a small diffuse pale transverse spot near posterior margin on each side, on S3–6 dark dorsal color sub-apically extended ventrally along sides of lateral terga; intersegmental membrane on dorsum and sides of S2–6 dark reddish brown; dorsum of S8 reddish brown along basal 0.50, turning into orange distally; dorsum of S9 and S10 orange; medio-longitudinal carina on sterna brown; caudal appendages orange with black apex. Genital lobe (g.l., Fig. 8w i View FIGURE 8 ) very tall, as high as anterior hamule (anterior hamule folded over genital fossa at preservation) and height equal to 0.50 of its basal width, sub-triangular; posterior hamule laminar and large, clearly surpassing ventral margin of genital fossa, higher than anterior hamule, about as wide as width of sclerotized portion of basal segment, with sides straight, with tip angled at about 90° and rounded and short in ventral view; curvature of basal segment of genital ligula marked by a deep concave depression, followed by a prominent convex protuberance; genital ligula distal segment pear-shaped, distinctly widened sub-apically, with ratio maximum width/length of 0.70, apex transverse with a narrow ectal fold (e.f., Fig. 8w i View FIGURE 8 ). Medial portion of S10 postero-dorsal margin ( Figs. 10w View FIGURE 10 ; 11w View FIGURE 11 ; 12w View FIGURE 12 ) projected posteriorly (projection folded ventrally), lacking a medial incision, with dorsal prominence represented by an entire curved sub-apical swelling. Cercus sub-cylindrical, slightly narrowing distally in lateral view, with a longitudinal medial concavity, in dorsal view ( Fig. 10w View FIGURE 10 ) about straight along medial portion, with tip curved medio-ventrally at about 80°, about as wide as medial third of cercus, and ending on a single point directed medio-ventrally; ratio of cercus length to S10 maximum length in lateral view 1.4; ratio of cercus length to paraproct length in lateral view 0.66; paraproct in lateral view ( Fig. 12w View FIGURE 12 ) sub-cylindrical, of uniform width along medial portion and slightly widening distally, in dorsal view with a medio-longitudinal concavity extended almost to tip, tip curved medially at about 90°, ending on a single medio-ventral tooth.

Dimensions. Hw 22.4; abdomen 36.9; total length 43.8.

Female paratype (collected with holotype). Head. As in holotype but pale color of labium, rear of head, base of mandible, gena, anteclypeus, and antefrons pale yellow; postmortem color of eyes pale brown, in life as in holotype ( Fig. 13j View FIGURE 13 ii); pattern of epicranium as in Fig. 1w View FIGURE 1 ii.— Thorax. As in holotype but antero-lateral laminar tongue-like lobe on each side of anterior margin of middle lobe of pronotum as long as 3 times its width; lateral lobes of posterior lobe of pronotum dorsally globose; medial lobe slightly dorsally globose and slightly projected posteriorly ( Figs. 4w View FIGURE 4 ii; 5w ii); mesanepisternal horns represented by very low blunt prominences; 12 pnx in Fw, 11 in Hw.— Abdomen. Color pattern as in holotype but dorsum of S8–10 reddish orange except dark reddish brown basal 0.75 of S8, basal 0.50 of S9, and medio-dorsal area of S10; posterior margin of S8 sternum with a bifid projection with a small central spine, lateral scythe-shaped branches as long as 0.50 of ovipositor external valves, reaching 0.75 of S9, oriented parallel to ovipositor lateral surface ( Fig. 9v View FIGURE 9 ); ovipositor reaching level between tip of paraproct and tip of cercus; caudal appendages reddish orange; ovipositor external valves yellowish orange with dark reddish brown stylus.

Variation in paratypes. Paratypes as holotype but antero-lateral projection of middle lobe of pronotum in males tongue-shaped and as long as 2 times its width to small and digit-shaped; mesanepisternal horns in males as long as 1.2–1.5 of mesostigmal plate width; wings infumated with brown along veins in one paratype; Pt pale yellow to reddish brown; 12–14 pnx in Fw and 11–14 in Hw; small diffuse pale transverse spot near posterior margin on each side of dorsum of S2 absent in some specimens, and S 2–4 in teneral female; pale color of abdomen S8–10 pale yellow in teneral specimens; ovipositor reaching level of tip of cercus.

Dimensions. Males (n 7, including holotype): Hw 22.6 ± 0.7 [21.4–23.4]; abdomen 38.3 ± 1.4 [36.5–40.2]; total length 45.6 ± 1.6 [43.7–47.7]. Females (n 2): Hw 23.3 ± 0.6 [22.8–23.7]; abdomen 36.5 ± 0.5 [36–36.9]; total length 43 ± 0.2 [42.8–43.1].

Diagnosis. Metaleptobasis peltata is unique within the genus by the extreme development of its male genital lobe, crescent shaped and as high as half of its basal width ( Fig. 8w View FIGURE 8 ); in most species male genital lobe is only slightly projected ventrally, and in M. falcifera and in M. tridentigera it is also relatively high, but distinctly shorter than half its basal width ( Figs. 8j View FIGURE 8 , ac). Shape of male posterior hamule, slightly higher than anterior hamule, about as wide as width of sclerotized portion of genital ligula basal segment in ventral view, and with tip rounded ( Fig. 8w View FIGURE 8 ), further differentiates it from M. falcifera , in which posterior hamule is as high as anterior hamule, as wide as 1.5 times width of medial sclerotized portion of genital ligula basal segment in ventral view, and with tip triangular, and M. tridentigera , in which posterior hamule has a triangular tip in ventral view ( Figs. 8j View FIGURE 8 , ac). Female of M. peltata shares only with M. falcifera , M. orthogonia , M. panguanae , and M. tridentigera the presence of an anterolateral laminar tongue-like lobe on each side of anterior margin of middle lobe of pronotum, only with M. falcifera and M. tridentigera the presence of dorsally globose lateral lobes of posterior lobe of pronotum, and only with M. falcifera sternum of S8 projected into a trifid process with a short central spine-like prong and with lateral prongs scythe-shaped and oriented parallel to the sides of ovipositor. I was unable to find any morphological differences between females of M. falcifera and M. peltata , and determination of females of these two species must rely on association with males and locality, as their distribution areas are as far as known allopatric, with M. peltata known only from N Peru, and M. falcifera known from SE Peru and SW Brazil ( Fig. 14f).