Metaleptobasis knopfi Tennessen, 2012

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 : 45-46

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-661A-FF95-D7A8-FB36E1C9F980
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Metaleptobasis knopfi Tennessen, 2012
status

Treatment

Metaleptobasis knopfi Tennessen, 2012 View in CoL

Figs. 1n View FIGURE 1 ; 3n View FIGURE 3 ; 4n View FIGURE 4 ; 5n View FIGURE 5 ; 8n View FIGURE 8 ; 9n View FIGURE 9 ; 10n View FIGURE 10 ; 11n View FIGURE 11 ; 12n View FIGURE 12 ; 14c

Metaleptobasis knopfi Tennessen, 2012: 90–95 View in CoL , figs. 14–23 (description of ♂ ♀, illustrations of ♂ head, pterothorax, mesanepisternal horn, pretarsal claw, S10, genital ligula, and ♀ pronotum, mesanepisternal horns, and S8–10).

Types. Holotype ♂: ECUADOR, Sucumbíos Prov., swamp-forest pond near stream, Hwy. E 45 ca. 52 km NE of Chaco (0°0'4''S, 77°24'07''W, 685 m), 18 viii 1980, K.W. Knopf leg. [ FSCA]; 1 ♀ allotype * 7 ♂ paratypes *: same data [ FSCA]; 3 ♂ paratypes: same but S.W. Dunkle leg. [ FSCA]; 1 ♀ paratype: ECUADOR, Sucumbíos Prov., forest S of Limoncocha (0°25'13''S, 76°36'39''W, 250 m), 11 v 2009, KJT leg. [ FSCA]; 1 ♂ paratype: ECUADOR, Napo Prov., pond along Río Sinde , ca. 5 km E of Puerto Napo bridge (1°3'0''S, 77° 44'32''W, 430 m), 12 xi 1997, KJT leg. [ FSCA]. GoogleMaps

Specimens examined. Total: 3 ♂, 2 ♀: 1 ♂ paratype, 1 ♀ allotype; ECUADOR, Sucumbíos Prov. : 1 ♂, Shushufindi pipeline, slow oxbow stream through forest, on branch in shade near water (0°14'21''S, 76°38'52''W, 260 m), 18 i 2011, D. Wagner & R. Vargus leg. [ RWG] GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀ same data but [ UCMS] GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, Reserva Limoncocha , administration area and down to dock (0°24'21''S, 76°37'12''W, 255 m), 25 i 2010, D. Wagner, WAH, M. Thomas, F. Morrison & R. Vargas leg. [ WAH] GoogleMaps .

Characterization. Head. Labrum mostly pale; extension of black on dorsum of head limited; postocular lobes rounded ( Fig. 1n View FIGURE 1 ). Thorax. Pronotum anterior lobe smooth ( Figs. 4n View FIGURE 4 ; 5n View FIGURE 5 ); anterior and middle lobes of pronotum separated dorso-laterally by a groove; anterior area of propleuron with a short longitudinal ridge (lo.) located antero-ventral to anterior lobe of pronotum; antero-dorsal margin of middle lobe of pronotum smooth; pronotum posterior lobe trilobed, with medial lobe bluntly pointed and lateral lobes slightly shorter than medial lobe; bases of mesanepisternal horns separated; horns thin, directed latero-anteriorly at 85°, diverging, as long as about 1.5 times mesostigmal plate width, and with bluntly pointed tips in male ( Figs. 4n i View FIGURE 4 ; 5n i View FIGURE 5 ), directed dorso-medially at 90°, converging, slightly shorter than mesostigmal plate and with tips rounded in female ( Figs. 4n View FIGURE 4 ii–iii; 5n ii–iii); middorsal dark stripe as wide as about 0.33 of mesanepisterna, parallel sided to slightly widened medially ( Fig. 3n View FIGURE 3 ); Pt short rectangular, with anterior and posterior sides slightly longer than distal side. Abdomen. Male genital lobe short, less than 0.50 of anterior hamule height, smoothly curved; posterior hamule digit-like and small, with at most only tip surpassing ventral margin of genital fossa in lateral view and tip not differentiated ( Fig. 8n View FIGURE 8 ); curvature of basal segment of genital ligula marked by a slight concave depression; distal segment of genital ligula subrectangular, apex transverse, lacking an ectal fold; posterior margin of female S8 sternum smooth, lacking any denticles, spines, or processes; distal end of ovipositor reaching apex of paraproct to apex of cercus ( Fig. 9m View FIGURE 9 ); medial portion of male S10 postero-dorsal margin ( Figs. 10n View FIGURE 10 ; 11n View FIGURE 11 ; 12n View FIGURE 12 ) projected posteriorly, with a small u-shaped incision and a dorsal prominence curved surrounding incision; male cercus in dorsal view ( Fig. 10n View FIGURE 10 ) about straight, narrowing distally, with tip slightly curved medio-ventrally ending on a single tooth pointed inwards; ratio of male cercus length to S10 maximum length in lateral view 0.84–0.90; ratio of male cercus length to paraproct length in lateral view 0.53–0.62; male paraproct in lateral view ( Fig. 12n View FIGURE 12 ) sub-cylindrical, of uniform width along medial third, slightly narrowing distally, with a medio-distal crest ending on a pointed incurved tooth at tip.

Dimensions. Males (n 2): Hw 20 ± 0.71 [19.5–20.5]; abdomen 34.9 ± 1.56 [33.8–36]; total length 41.7 ± 1.84 [40.4–43]. Females (n 2): Hw 21.75 ± 0.49 [21.4–22.1]; abdomen 33.85 ± 1.91 [32.5–35.2]; total length 41.05 ± 2.05 [39.6–42.5].

Diagnosis. Among the species with small digit-like male posterior hamule with at most only tip surpassing ventral margin of genital fossa in lateral view, posterior margin of female S8 sternum smooth lacking any denticles, spines, or processes, and dorsum of head with black color not extensive, M. knopfi shares only with M. leniloba and M. selysi the combination of characters including anterior lobe of pronotum not projected postero-ventrally, middle lobe of pronotum smooth lacking any crests or projections, propleuron lacking two sub-vertical crests, and male horns directed antero-dorsally at an angle of 35°–90° with dorsum, sub-cylindrical and about as long as mesostigmal plate width or longer. Metaleptobasis knopfi differs from M. leniloba by the width of mid-dorsal stripe of pterothorax, about as wide as 0.33 of mesanepisterna at mid-length ( Fig. 3n View FIGURE 3 ; about as wide as 0.14–0.16 of mesanepisterna at mid-length in M. leniloba , Fig. 3o View FIGURE 3 ), the presence of a low rounded tubercle (t.) and a short longitudinal crest (lo.) on anterior area of propleuron ( Fig. 5n View FIGURE 5 ; tubercle lacking and a short lateral crest (l.c.) in M. leniloba , Fig. 5o View FIGURE 5 ), genital ligula distal segment subrectangular ( Fig. 8n View FIGURE 8 ; sub-quadrate in M. leniloba , Fig. 8o View FIGURE 8 ), and male paraproct distal third narrower than medial third in lateral view ( Fig. 12n View FIGURE 12 ; about as wide as medial third in M. leniloba , Fig. 12o View FIGURE 12 ). It differs from M. selysi by lateral portions of anterior lobe of pronotum not inflated ( Figs. 4n View FIGURE 4 ; 5n View FIGURE 5 ; vs. inflated in M. selysi , Figs. 4z View FIGURE 4 ; 5z View FIGURE 5 ), male cercus in dorsal view narrower at distal third than at medial third with tip pointed ( Fig. 10n View FIGURE 10 ; about as wide at distal third as at medial third with tip rounded in M. selysi , Fig. 10z View FIGURE 10 ). All known females of M. knopfi share shape of posterior lobe of pronotum with males, and differ by length and orientation of mesanepisternal horns.

Remarks. Tennessen (2012) stated that the terminal fold of the genital ligula distal segment of M. knopfi is absent. However, in both males available to me, there is a narrow thin terminal fold, visible under high magnification.

Habitat. Collected near ponds in a shady swamp forest and in a mesic forest at similar elevation (250–700 m) ( Tennessen 2012), and perching on a branch near water at a slow oxbow stream in the shade.

Distribution. Napo and Shushufindi Provs. in Ecuador ( Fig. 14c).