Aphylla angustifolia Garrison

Novelo-Gutiérrez, Rodolfo, 2014, The larva of Aphylla protracta (Hagen, 1859), and a redescription of the larva of A. angustifolia Garrison, 1986 (Odonata: Gomphidae), Zootaxa 3884 (4), pp. 387-393 : 391-392

Aphylla angustifolia Garrison

(Figs. 7b,d, 8b, 9b, 11)

Needham, 1940. Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. Larval description as A. protracta by supposition.

Material. Three exuviae (1♂, 2♀, one ♂ reared), 2 ♂ F-0 larvae, 4 probably F- 3 larvae. MEXICO: Veracruz; Municipality of Xalapa, Laguna del Castillo (19° 32.434 N; 96° 51.594 W, altitude 1,148m asl, lagoon in highly disturbed oak forest), 25 September 1993, R. Arce leg (1♂); Municipality of Sayula de Alemán, Almagres (17° 48.272 N; 94° 55.305 W, altitude 44m asl, lagoon in highly disturbed tropical rain forest), 20 March 1999, J.A. Gómez leg (2 ♀ exuviae, 4 young larvae); Municipality of Emiliano Zapata, Laguna Miradores (19° 28.278 N; 96° 47.197 W, altitude 930m asl, lagoon in highly disturbed thorn forest), 11 May 1999, J.A. Gómez, R. Novelo leg (2♂, one emerged 13 May 1999). All specimens deposited at Colección Entomológica del Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa ( IEXA).

Redescription. Very similar to A. protracta with the following differences:

Head: Third antennomere 5 times longer than its widest part, not conspicuously flattened on ventral surface, slightly upturned on apical 0.30 in profile view; size proportions of antennomeres: 0.26, 0.16, 1.0, 0.10. Left mandible with formula: L 1234 0 a(m1-7)b.

Abdomen: Dorsal protuberances reduced on S5–9 (Fig. 7b) but clearly visible as triangular projections in dorsal view (Fig. 7d). Lateral margins of S8–9, ending in a vestigial spine with a round tip. Dorsal surface of S2–9 mostly smooth, with small white, stiff setae restricted to the dorsal protuberances, and long, abundant, delicate white setae on lateral margins. Female gonapophyses apically bilobed with external lobe largest (Fig. 9b). Caudal appendages: Epiproct reddish-brown.

FIGURES. 8–11. Details of the morphology of Aphylla spp. larvae. 8) Sternites 8–9 showing the 5 plates in sternite 8 and 3 plates in sternite 9, and the absence (a) or presence (b) of lateral spines on S8–9. 9) Female gonapophyses, ventral view. 10) Male caudal appendages, dorsal view: Ce, cercus, Ep, epiproct, Pp, paraproct. 11) Exuvia in natural habitat (Figs. 8a, 9a, 10, A. protracta , Figs. 8b, 9b, 11, A. angustifolia ).

Measurements (range followed by mean). Last instar larvae (N= 2): Total length (TL) (incl. caudal app.) 38.2–39, 38.6; abdomen (Ab) (ventral, excl. caudal app.) 26.6–27.7, 27.1; maximum width of head 5.2; hind femur (Hf) (lateral) 4.1–4.3, 4.2; segment 10 (S10) (ventral, excl. caudal app.) 8.8–9.5, 9.1; epiproct (Ep) 0.9, cerci (Ce) 0.9, paraprocts (Pp) 1.0. Exuviae (N= 3): TL 43.4–48.5, 45.3; Ab 31.5–35.8, 33.1; Hf 4.3–4.6, 4.5; S10 10.5–12.8, 11.6; Ep 0.8–0.9, 0.87, Pp 0.9–1.0, 0.97, Ce 0.8–0.9, 0.87.

Habitat. Found in lentic environments such as ponds and lagoons, at muddy edges; also in pools of intermittent streams ( Needham et al. 2014).