Pseudolestidae, Fraser, 1957

Orr, Albert G. W., 2024, A review of present knowledge of larvae of the Calopterygoidea (Zygoptera) of the Oriental realm, including keys to families and known genera, Zootaxa 5497 (2), pp. 209-243 : 237

Family Pseudolestidae

This monotypic family is known only from Hainan island where the larvae of Pseudolestes mirabilis Kirby inhabit small clear, rocky streams; the females lay in dead wood ( Zhang 2019). The larvae ( Figs 8, 10 ) are unmistakable, being provided with paired dendritic gill tufts on the venter of S10 ( Yu & Bu 2011), a character shared in the region only with Devadatta but it is unclear if the structures are homologous. Larva of Pseudolestes also differs clearly from Devadatta in the structure of the hardened balloon like caudal gills, the shape of the prementum and the form of the antennae. The tufts can be retracted and extruded and presumably play a role in respiration ( Yu & Bu 2014).

Figures

FIGURES 8–11. 8. Pseudolestes mirabilis, ventral view of terminal abdominal segments and caudal gills of showing gill tufts on S10 (after Yu & Bu 2011). 9. Devadatta argyoides, detail of extruded right gill tuft, posterior view (redrawn from Watson 1966). 10. Pseudolestes mirabilis, habitus with detail of mask (after Yu & Bu 2011). 11. Devadatta argyoides, habitus with details of right antenna and mask (original drawing).