Epigomphus brillantina Bota-Sierra & Novelo-Gutiérrez, 2020

Novelo-Gutiérrez, Rodolfo & Bota-Sierra, Cornelio Andrés, 2024, Description of the larvae of Epigomphus rufus Bota-Sierra & Novelo-Gutiérrez, 2020, and E. brillantina Bota-Sierra & Novelo-Gutiérrez, 2020 (Odonata: Gomphidae), Zootaxa 5506 (1), pp. 93-103 : 99-100

Larva of Epigomphus brillantina Bota-Sierra & Novelo-Gutiérrez (supposition)

( Figs. 6–8 )

Material. One F- 1 larva (♀) . COLOMBIA, Antioquia Department, Remedios Municipality, La Cruz Township, Finca La Brillantina , stream elev. 593 m (6.90593°N, - 74.57738°W), 21 February 2019, 2 larvae ; same data but stream elev. 530 m (6.89664°N, - 74.57579°W), 23 February 2019, 8 larvae , all C. Bota, R. Novelo leg.

Description. Larva F-1 25.5 mm total length, body robust, antennae, legs and sides of thorax setose, gently tapering caudad, body mostly reddish-brown, dark brown on S9–10 with a complex color pattern on abdomen ( Figs. 6a–b ).

Head: As described for E. rufus except: 3 rd antennomere 2x as long as widest part, 4 th antennomere more or less subspherical ( Fig. 7a ), antennomeres proportion: 0.32, 0.14, 1.0, 0.06. Mandibles formula: L 1234 0 a(m 1,2,3,4)b / R 1234 y a(m 1,2,3,4,5)b, tooth a>b in both mandibles. Labium: prementum slightly wider than long; ligula W/L ratio 1:0.16, with a ventral row of 9–10 dark reddish-brown, short, truncate teeth on middle ( Fig. 7c ). Labial palp apical lobe with tip finely serrate, internal margin slightly concave with 10–12 small truncate teeth ( Fig. 7c ).

Thorax: As described for E. rufus but: Femora ( Fig. 7d ) reddish-brown on basal 0.80, a yellow band on apical 0.20, tibiae reddish-yellow, tarsal claws yellow ( Fig. 7d ). Wing sheaths light yellow, with abundant, long setae on margins.

Abdomen: As described for E. rufus except: Mostly brown with a complex pattern of yellow spots on tergum, S9–10 dark reddish-brown ( Fig. 6a ); lateral margins of S7–9 serrate, serrations increasing in number and robustness caudad ( Fig. 7e ); tergites 2–3 with long, bristle-like setae, tergites 4–9 mostly bare, with some scattered, long, delicate setae; posterior margins of S2–9 with a dense row of minute, whitish, scalelike setae, S10 glabrous. Sterna 1–7 mostly yellowish-brown ( Fig. 6b ), with posterior margin of middle sternites dark reddish-brown ( Figs. 6b , 7e ), sternum 8 light reddish-yellow, sternum 9 reddish-brown, sternum 10 dark reddish-brown ( Fig. 7e ); sterna 2–8 with minute spiniform setae on middle sternites only visible at great magnification, posterior margins bare; middle sternite on sternum 9 with small, sparse, delicate setae, posterior margin of sternum 9 with a row of abundant, minute, white scale-like setae. Female gonapophyses vestigial ( Fig. 7f ), roundly-pointed. Caudal appendages ( Fig. 7g ): in dorsal view, tips of cerci divergent, tips of paraprocts more or less straight, in lateral view tips of epiproct and cerci straight; cerci and paraprocts subequal, epiproct slightly shorter.

Measurements [in mm]: F- 1 larva: TL 25.5; AL (ventral, excl. caudal app.) 14; MWh 5.6; HfL (lateral) 5; MWa (ventral) 8; Ep 1.2, Ce 1.3, Pp 1.3; spine on S7 0.4, spine on S8 0.6, spine on S9 0.8.

Habitat. Larvae were found in a small, still, shallow stream with abundant leaf litter in the forest ( Fig. 8 ).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Epigomphus brillantina: a) F-1 female larva, dorsal view; b) Ídem, ventral view.

FIGURE 7. Epigomphus brillantina: a) antennae, dorsal view; b) ventral view of mouth parts showing the hypopharynx; c) detail of the ligula and palps, ventral view (right movable hook broken); d) left hind leg; e) sterna 5–10; f) sterna 8–9 showing the female gonapophyses; g) S10 and caudal appendages, dorsal.

FIGURE 8. Epigomphus brillantina larval habitat at Finca La Brillantina.