Indolestes lafaeci, SEEHAUSEN, 2017

Seehausen, Malte, 2017, Indolestes lafaeci sp. nov. (Odonata: Lestidae) from Timor, with comparisons to related species, Zootaxa 4244 (1), pp. 79-90 : 80-83

Indolestes lafaeci sp. nov.

Figures: 1 (male holotype lateral); 2a (male abdomen lateral & dorsal); 2b (female abdomen lateral & dorsal); 2c (male wings), 3a (male head dorsal); 4a–d (male synthorax lateral); 4e (male synthorax ventral); 5a–c (male anal appendages lateral, dorsal and right cercus dorso-lateral); 6a–b (genital ligula lateral & ventral); 7a–b (female synthorax lateral); 7c (ovipositor lateral).

Holotype — ♂: Soe , South Central Timor Regency, West Timor, Indonesia [9.86° S, 124.28° E], vi.1929, ex.- Coll. Le Moult; deposited at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences ( RBINS).

Paratypes — 8 ♂, 3 ♀: Soe , South Central Timor Regency, West Timor, Indonesia [9.86° S, 124.28° E], vi.1929, ex.- Coll. Le Moult; all deposited at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences ( RBINS).

Etymology. The specific epithet lafaeci is the genitive of the Latinised noun lafaek, which is the word for crocodile in the Tetum language of Timor. According to its shape Timor is also called “land of the sleeping crocodile” and there is a creation legend called lafaek diak (the good crocodile). Therefore the new species might be called “ Indolestes of the crocodile ”.

Holotype male ( Fig. 1 ). Head: Labium yellowish; mandible bases yellowish, dark brown at apex; labrum pale yellowish, margins washed with blue (perhaps distinctly bluish when alive); genae pale blue; ante- and postclypeus pale yellowish with a dark spot each left and right from midline of postclypeus; frons and vertex dark greenishbronze-metallic with pale yellowish line on antefrons bordering postclypeus, pale yellowish spots beside the ocelli as well as pale yellowish occipital bar extending like two-pronged crown towards vertex, each prong with dark medial spot; hind margin of occiput dark greenish-bronze-metallic; rear of head pale yellowish; pale yellowish spot at scape of antenna, apical margin of scape also pale yellowish; antennae blackish brown except for pale yellowish apical margin of 1st and basal two-thirds of 2nd segment.

Thorax: Prothorax pale yellow-ochre with pair of two dark greenish-bronze patches dorsally on median lobe; evenly convex posterior lobe pale yellow-ochre with pair of dorsolateral metallic spots; synthorax pale yellowochre washed with pale blue on mesepimeron and metepimeron; broad dark greenish-bronze middorsal stripe with lateral offshoot extending to mesopleural fossa; middorsal carina pale; incomplete dark greenish-bronze interpleural stripe extending from carina and spreading over upper third of mesepimeron; anterior third of mesinfraepisternum and lowermost portion of mesopleural suture metallic green; venter of synthorax with two elongate dark patches; coxae, trochanters and remainder of legs pale brownish; inner side of femora and tibiae with dark brown stripe, additional dark brown stripes on external surfaces of hind and middle femur as well as on outer side of femur and tibia of foreleg; tip of tarsi and tarsal claws dark brown; spines black.

Wings: hyaline with major veins brown, minor veins blackish; quadrilateral cells each with posterior margin 2– 2.5 times longer than anterior margin; quadrilateral of Fw 0.6 mm long, of Hw 1.0 mm long; anal vein arising from wing margin at Ac; Ac situated around midway between Ax1 & Ax 2 in Fw; arculus situated at Ax2; number of Px in Fw 10–11, number of Px in Hw 10–11; Pt dark brown, overlying one cell.

Abdomen: dark greenish bronze to black dorsally divided by narrow pale middorsal carina and pale ochre laterally; S2–7 with dorsal black interrupted by pale basal ring and with short lateral black extension at apical end before narrowing and connecting to black annulus; S8–9 black dorsally, obscure brown laterally; S10 pale washed with blue; cercus bluish, apex dark, about twice as long as S10; in dorsal view cercus arcuate with apical third swollen and extending caudoventrally, its tip acute; inner margin of cercus with a gently concave medial lobe bearing a basal extension only visible in dorsolateral view and a prominent caudoventrally directed tooth situated at apical two-thirds of cercus; in lateral view apical third of cercus directed posteroventrally; paraproct pale brownish, broadly triangular, about one third as long as cercus, its tip bluntly pointed.

Genital ligula: ventral extremity broad and flatly arched, wearing a coiled internal soft lobe about one-third as wide as the ventral extremity.

Measurements: Total length (including appendages) 41 mm; abdomen length (without appendages) 31.5 mm; cerci length 1.4 mm; Hw length 20.5 mm; Fw length 21.5 mm; length of Pt in Fw 1.0 mm.

Variation in paratype males. Head ( Fig. 3 a): One male has dark patches covering almost the entire postclypeus; the yellow-ochre occipital bar is always present, but the two prongs may be less extended towards the vertex.

Thorax: Besides the common pattern ( Fig. 4 a), one male has the dark green-bronze markings of the mesepimeron and humeral suture fusing together so that the irregular posthumeral stripe is complete ( Fig. 4 b). One male has a longer stripe along the humeral suture, reaching to the middle of the synthorax ( Fig. 4 c). Two males have the posterior dark pattern split into isolated patches ( Fig. 4 d). Both elongate patches at the ventral side of the synthorax ( Fig. 4 e) are always present, but in some males there is an additional dark brownish patch at the poststernum.

Wings ( Fig. 2 c): The number of Px varies from 8–11 in Fw and Hw.

Measurements: Total length (including appendages) 39–41 mm; abdomen length (without appendages) 30–32 mm; cerci length 1.2–1.5 mm; Hw length 19–20.5 mm; Fw length 20–21.5 mm; length of Pt in Fw 0.8–1.2 mm. Description of paratype females. Head: as in the male but genae pale yellow-ochre.

Thorax: Prothorax as in the male; synthorax ( Figs 7 a–b) differs from the male by a narrower dark greenishbronze middorsal stripe, the lateral offshoot to the mesopleural fossa interrupted, a dark greenish-bronze spot at posterior end of the humeral suture; additional elongate dark greenish-bronze patches are present on posterior and anterior end of the humeral suture, the posterior end of metapleural suture and around the posterior third of the mesepimeron; a dark greenish-bronze spot at the mesokatepisternum present or not; venter of synthorax and legs as in the male.

Wings: venation and Pt as in the male; number of Px in Fw 10–11, number of Px in Hw 9–10.

Abdomen ( Fig. 2 b): coloured as in the male but dark dorsal markings narrower; appendages pale yellow-ochre; ovipositor ( Fig. 7 c) expanding beyond end of S10, outer valves pale yellow-ochre with a thick dark stripe laterally along the middle and with a row of about 12–16 blunt teeth ventrally; tip is blunt; two styli expand caudally with the last third directed posteroventrally in about a 45° degree angle and slightly curved inwards.

Measurements: Total length (including appendages) 37–39.5 mm; abdomen length (including appendages) 29– 31.5 mm; Hw length 20.5 mm; Fw length 21.5 mm; length of Pt in Fw 1.0 mm.

Diagnosis. Indolestes lafaeci belongs to a congeneric group of species with male cerci apically curved and attenuated posteriorly. This group includes species such as I. bellax from Sumba, I. cheesmanae ( Kimmins, 1936) from New Caledonia and the New Hebrides, I. cyaneus ( Selys, 1862) from the Himalayan area in northern India and Bhutan, I. floresianus from Flores in the Lesser Sundas, I. gracilis from Sri Lanka and India towards Cambodia, I. guizhouensis Zhou & Zhou, 2005 , from China, I. insularis from Australia, I. peregrinus ( Ris, 1916) from Japan, China and Korea and I. tenuissimus from Australia and New Guinea. The new species differs from almost all congeneric species by a Pt overlying only one cell. Indolestes bellax and I. insularis appear to be the closest relatives of I. lafaeci , and both of them share the following characters with I. lafaeci: Pt overlying only one cell, a dark middorsal thoracic stripe with straight margins and a similar abdominal pattern. Diagnostic differences are summarized in Table 1 and additionally include the widespread I. gracilis , although this species has a Pt overlying 1.5–2 cells and the blue on S10 continuing to about half of S 9 in males instead of restricted to the last segment (see also Fraser 1930; Asahina 1976; Kosterin 2015).

Indolestes cheesmanae , I. floresianus , I. tenuissimus and I. peregrinus have the dark middorsal stripe of the synthorax with a lateral extension (cf. fig. 4l for I. cheesmanae from New Caledonia) lacking in I. lafaeci , I. bellax , I. cyaneus , I. gracilis and I. guizhouensis . Males of I. cheesmanae , I. floresianus and I. tenuissimus also differ in the inner margin of the cerci, and at least the females of I. tenuissimus have a recurved spine on the outer valves of the ovipositor ( Lieftinck 1960). Indolestes peregrinus has a completely different pattern on the abdomen, and in dorsal view the males have pointed paraprocts ( Ris 1916, Asahina 1976, Asahina 1989).

The middorsal stripe on the synthorax of I. cyaneus and I. guizhouensis has straight margins, but both species have dark markings on the blue abdomen covering about a quarter to a half of S3–6 (Fraser 1930, Zhou & Zhou 2005), whereas in I. lafaeci the dark dorsal stripe is divided middorsally by the pale carina. The paraprocts of I. cyaneus as figured by Fraser (1930) and Mitra & Thinley (2005) are shorter than those of I. lafaeci ; the shape of the cerci of I. guizhouensis as figured by Zhou & Zhou (2005) also differ from those of I. lafaeci , although the illustrations of the former are not very detailed.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lateral view of the holotype male of Indolestes lafaeci.

FIGURE 2. Indolestes lafaeci; (a) male abdomen lateral and dorsal; (b) female abdomen lateral and dorsal; (c) wings.

FIGURE 3. Head dorsal; (a) Indolestes lafaeci; (b) Indolestes insularis; (c) Indolestes bellax; (d) Indolestes gracilis.

FIGURE 4. Male synthorax lateral and ventral; (a – e) Indolestes lafaeci; (f – i) Indolestes insularis; (j – k) Indolestes bellax; (l) Indolestes cheesmanae; (m – o) Indolestes gracilis.

FIGURE 7. Female synthorax lateral and ovipositor lateral; (a – c) Indolestes lafaeci; (d – f) Indolestes insularis; (g – h) Indolestes bellax; (i – k) Indolestes gracilis.

Tables

TABLE 1. Characteristics of Indolestes lafaeci, I. insularis, I. bellax and I. gracilis.

	Indolestes lafaeci [Timor; n = 9 ♂ 3 ♀]	Indolestes insularis [Australia; n = 6 ♂ 5 ♀]	Indolestes bellax [Sumba; n = 8 ♂ 2 ♀]	Indolestes gracilis [Sri Lanka; n = 6 ♂ 6 ♀]
Head	yellow-ochre occipital bar with two prong-like extensions to vertex (Fig. 3a)	yellow-ochre occipital bar with two prong-like extensions lacking (Fig. 3b)	yellow-ochre occipital bar with two prong-like extensions to vertex (Fig. 3c)	yellow-ochre occipital bar with two prong-like extensions to vertex (Fig. 3d)
Synthorax lateral	♂: posthumeral stripe irregular, complete or interrupted (Figs 4a–d) ♀: posthumeral stripe lacking, instead a spot at posterior third of mesepimeron (Figs 7a– b)	♂: if present, then posthumeral stripe almost linear, complete or interrupted (Figs 4f– h) ♀: no posthumeral marking or a spot at anterior third of mesepimeron (Figs 7d– e)	♂: posthumeral stripe irregular, complete (Fig. 4j) ♀: as in male (Fig. 7g)	♂: posthumeral stripe interrupted, could be reduced to 3–4 spots (Figs 4m–n) ♀: no posthumeral marking or a spot at posterior third of mesepimeron (Figs 7i– j)
Synthorax ventral	two elongate patches (Fig. 4e)	two elongate patches lacking, dark midventral stripe at least at poststernum (Fig. 4i)	two elongate patches (Fig. 4k)	four elongate patches and usually also two small spots at poststernum (Fig. 4o)
Male anal appendages	inner margin of cerci with a small basal extension at median lobe (check from dorsolateral); apical teeth at median lobe of cerci distinct, clearly visible from side; paraprocts broadly triangular, about one third as long as cerci (Figs 5a–c)	similar to I. lafaeci but inner margin of cerci lacking a basal extension at median lobe (check from dorsolateral); apical teeth at median lobe of cerci distinct, clearly visible from side; paraprocts about a quarter as long as cerci (Figs 5d–f)	inner margin of cerci more angular than in I. lafaeci and I. insularis , apical teeth at median lobe of cerci less pointed, not visible from side; paraprocts about a quarter as long as cerci, each with a slender ventral process (Figs 5g–h)	inner margin of cerci with a shorter but prominent median lobe with a distinct basal ledge; apical teeth at median lobe of cerci distinct, clearly visible from side; paraprocts rectangular, about one third as long as cerci (Figs 5i–j)
Genital ligula	coiled internal soft lobe about one-third as wide as terminal segment, not reaching end of ventral extremity (Figs 6a–b)	similar to I. lafaeci but internal soft lobe reaching end of ventral extremity (Figs 6c–d)	similar to I. lafaeci but internal soft lobe reaching end of ventral extremity (Figs 6e–f)	internal soft lobe like a narrow sickle, ventral extremity with extensions apically, Ushaped in ventral view (Figs 6g–h)
Ovipositor	extending beyond S10; outer valves bearing 12–16 small teeth ventrally, recurved caudal tooth lacking (Fig. 7c)	extending to end of S10; outer valves bearing about 10–12 small teeth ventrally, recurved caudal tooth lacking (Fig. 7f)	extending beyond S10; outer valves bearing 8– 10 small teeth ventrally, recurved caudal tooth present (Fig. 7h)	extending to end of S10; outer valves bearing about 10 sharply pointed teeth ventrally, recurved caudal tooth present (Fig. 7k)