Erythemis mithroides

Rodríguez, Fredy Palacino, Sarmiento, Carlos E. & González-Soriano, Enrique, 2015, Morphological variability and evaluation of taxonomic characters in the genus Erythemis Hagen, 1861 (Odonata: Libellulidae: Sympetrinae), Insecta Mundi 2015 (428), pp. 1-68 : 18-20

Erythemis mithroides (Brauer in Therese, 1900)

( Fig. 1a , 2a,b , 13 , 18 , 27, 34)

Mesothemis mithroides Brauer in Therese, 1900: 266, pl. 3, f 5.

Mesothemis bicolor Hagen, 1861 ::169. Misidentification.

Type Material. Not examined.

Diagnosis. Thorax and dorsum of abdomen red or reddish-brown. Dark basal area on HW dark brown, and reaching beyond the MP crossvein, sometimes reaching the anal supplementary vein. Posterior extension of ventral teeth on male cercus about the same level as the apex of epiproct or less ( Fig. 13 ). Posterior lobe of the vesica spermalis is covered by lateral lobe, which extends more posteriorly than medial lobe. Hook bilobed, triangular, and not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of vesica spermalis ( Fig. 18 ). Cornua diagonal with respect to vesica spermalis transversal axis, with lobes separate to apex, and covered by lateral lobes in lateral view ( Fig. 19 ). LclS4/lcaS4 <2.10; WmS2/LcaS5 <3.

Morphometric ratios of males. Las/Anas<4.00; Acd/Lban<4.10; And/Lban<4.10; LHW/Acd<3.60; LHW/LFW>0.97; Las/Ddas<4.00;. LclS3/LcaS3<2.10; AnptHW/LoptHW<0.19; LHW/Lab<1.2; Lab/ LcaS3<3.00; LFW/Lnpt<3.00; Lba/Lban<2.

Head. Ll: 0.0011 –0.0015 mm (M). Lw: 0.0020 –0.0036 mm (M). Hwd: 0.0061 –0.0068 mm (M). Hl: 0.0031 –0.0037 mm (M).

Legs. Nsmf: 3–15 (M). Nshf: 7–32 (M). Hfl: 0.0056 –0.0063 mm (M). Fbsd: 0.0020 –0.0025 mm (M). Mfl: 0.0034 –0.0043 mm (M). Dshf (the conditions separated by commas are present in different specimens): short spines-1 or 2 median spines-3 or 4 long spines, short spines-3 long spines.

Wings. LoptFW: 0.0023 –0.0035 mm (M). AnptFW: 0.004 –0.006 mm (M). LoptHW: 0.0023 –0.0036 mm (M). AnptHW: 0.005 –0.006 mm (M). DfwHW: 0.005 –0.007 mm (M). LbanFW: 14.60–18.56mm (M). LbanHW: 12.61–15.87mm (M). AndFW: 6.35–8.19mm (M). Wb: 8.77–11.41mm (M). LFW: 29.9–36.19mm (M). LHW: 29.33–35.94mm (M). AnsbtFW: 17.50–23.12μ (M). AntrFW: 6.25–8.75μ (M). Lar: 0.0006 – 0.0050 mm (M). LnptFW: 10.91–12.38mm (M). LnptHW: 12.24–13.70mm (M). At-MP: 0.002 –0.005 mm (M). LbaFW: 0.0027 –0.0030 mm (M). LbaHW: 0.0027 –0.0031 mm (M). RP2-loptFW: 0.00620 –0.00625 mm (M). Dat-lsbt: 0.0006 –0.0018 mm (M). Lasa-ca: 0.004 –0.008 mm (M). Crp: 7. Cal: 3–6. PC-RA-RP1: 2–3. CdfFW: only 3 rows of cells. Vt: 1. Csub: 3.

Abdomen. Lab: 24.00– 36.18mm (M); 21.00– 23.5 mm (F). LcaS3: 0.0008 –0.0013 mm (M). LclS3: 0.0014 –0.0022 (M). Lecv-clS3: 0.0013 –0.0015 mm (M).

Caudal appendages. Las: 0.0009 –0.0018 mm (M). Poas: 0.002 –0.004 mm (M). Anas: 0.002 –0.006 mm (M). Ddas: 0.002 –0.005 mm (M). Epl: 0.0008 –0.0014 mm (M).

Larva. Costa and Pujol-Luz (1993) described the ochre colored larva from Rio São João (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). According to Costa and Pujol-Luz (1993) the larva of E. mithroides is the smallest of the genus. However, this proposal is hard to accept in view of E. credula having the smallest adults (J. De Marmels, pers. comm.). Likewise, Costa and Pujol-Luz (1993) provided the following diagnostic characters: larva ochre. Head wide. Incisors and molars obtuse, mandibular formula L 1234 abb’ R 123 +4 xy abd. Labrum with small dark spots, 13 premental setae, eight palpal setae, cercus exceeds between 2/3 up to half the length of epiproct. Outer margin of the palp with 13 small spines, inner margin slightly crenulated and presenting 24 large spines. Thorax with prothoracic apophyses. Supracoxa round, surrounded by spines. Wing sheaths reaching the level of the sixth abdominal segment, femur 1 and 2 with a distal dark brown circular band, the third pair of legs larger. Abdomen with the sixth segment widest. Epiproct triangular; paraproct pyramidal and divergent. Total length 11.25 mm; head length 3.7 mm; labial palp length 2 mm; prementum width 2,7 mm; teca anterior length 4.62 mm; teca posterior: 4.12 mm; femur I: 1.87 mm; Tibia 1: 2.5 mm; Femur 2: 2.75 mm; Tibia 2: 3.12 mm; Femur 3: 3.75 mm; Tibia 3: 5.12 mm; lab: 5.62 mm; epl: 0.8 mm; las: 0.5 mm; paraproct length 0.7 mm.

Material examined. BRAZIL, Amapá, Mazagão, Rio Purcacá , ii.1961, J.C.M. Carvalho leg., 1 male ( MNRJ) ; Amazonas, Parintins , 18.i.1973, N. Tangerini leg., 2 females ( MNRJ) ; Mato Grosso, Salobra , 05.vi.1942, C.I.O. Cruz leg., 1 female ( MNRJ) ; same, but Entre Cuiabá e Guia , 15.iv.1963, N. Santos, Machado leg., 1 female ( MNRJ) ; same, but Manaus , km. 38, Elias leg., xi.1959, 3 males, 1 female ( MNRJ) ; Espírito Santo, Rib. Do Engano, Vale do Itaúna , Travassos Santos, 1 female ( MNRJ) ; same, but Linhares, Estr. nova para Regência km. 7, 01-08.iv.1972, Elias, Paulo leg., 1 male, 3 females ( MNRJ) ; same, but 22.i.1973, N. Santos, Sandim, Vicente leg., 1 male ( MNRJ) ; same, but Santa Tereza, Rio Timluci, Reserva do Museu Nacional , 15.i.1967, N. Santos leg., 1 male ( MNRJ) ; Maranhão, Carutapera , 10.i.1959, C. Simões, O. Fontana leg., 1 male ( MNRJ) ; Minas Gerais, Januária , vii.1949, Machado, Berla leg., 1 male ( MNRJ) ; Pará, Belém, Jardim Museu Goeldi , 06.ii.1956, Candido leg., 1 male ( MNRJ) ; same data as before except collected on following dates: 04.viii.1959, 4 males ; 1956, 1 male; São Paulo, Luis Antônio, Lagoa do Diogo , 14.i.2001, P.S.F. Peruquetti leg., 1 male ( MNRJ) ; same, but Luis Antônio, Represa Beija-Flor , 14.i.2001, P.S.F. Peruquetti leg., 1 male ( MNRJ) ; Sem procedência, 3 males, 4 females ( MNRJ) . COLOMBIA, Atlántico, Ciénaga La Larga, Palmar de Varela , 7.ii.2008, M. Lobo y M. Moreno leg., 2 males ( UARC) ; Bolívar, Regidor, Finca Las Brisas, Corredor de vegetación alrededor de caño, 8º 45’ 39.5”N 73º 52’ 02.2” W, i.2009, M. Moreno leg., 2 males ( UARC) ; same, but Finca Las Pavas ó Labrador, Bosque Montaña de Toronto , 8º 46’ 43.7 N 73º 54’ 53.8” W, i.2009, M. Moreno leg., 1 male ( UARC) ; same, but Finca Puerto Libre, Bosque , 8º 46’ 4.4” N 73º 51’ 44.5 “ W, i.2009, M. Moreno leg., 1 male ( UARC) ; same, but Santa Catalina , 8.x.1999, 1 male ( ICN) ; same, but 3.x.1999, 1 male ( ICN) ; Boyacá, Puerto Boyacá , 22.vi.1981, C. Bohórquez leg., 1 male ( ICN) ; Córdoba, Pueblo Nuevo , 20.iii.2006, N.C. Rojas leg., 1 female ( ICN) . MEXICO, Jalisco, La Huerta. Estación de Biología Chamela , 1.xi.1994, E. González-Soriano leg., 1 male ( CNIN) ; Veracruz, pond 13 km S of la Tinaja, 18°45’0” 96°26’24”, 90 m, 13.viii.1976, R. W. and J. A. Garrison leg., 1 male ( RWG) ; PERU, Dept. Loreto, Yarinacocha , forest pond at La Cabaña, 10.vii.1977, Dennis Paulson leg., 1 male ( RWG) .

Remarks. We studied some large adult specimens from Mexico and Guatemala labeled as “new species”, but our analyses showed that these are only size variations of the species. A molecular analyses may help to clarify the identity of these specimens.

Biology. Erythemis mithroides adults inhabits cane fields where they feed and males display interspecific aggression, especially in the presence of their own females (F. Palacino pers. obs.).

Distribution. From U.S.A. to Argentina ( Fig. 34 ), between 4– 970 m.asl.

Figures

Figure 1. a) Plot showing continuous variation for the character distance between lateral and ventral carinae (dlvc), opposite to meeting point of lateral and medial transverse carinae on S3 (lmt). Numbers represent the following species: 1) E. attala, 2) E. carmelita, 3) E. collocata, 4) E. credula, 5) E. haematogastra, 6) E. mithroides, 7) E. peruviana, 8) E. plebeja, 9) E. simplicicollis, 10) E. vesiculosa. b) S1-3 E. carmelita males showing the measures from Williamson (1923): distance between lateral and ventral carinae (dlvc), divided by the measure of distance between meeting point of lateral and medial transverse carinae and ventral carinae (lmt).

Figure 2. Plots of the first two discriminant functions of the discriminant analysis. a) The first two discriminant functions explain 72.5% in males, the cases in where species are overlapped were analyzed by separated in b. b) The first two discriminant functions explain 88.3% in males, and c) The first two discriminant functions explain 83.7% in F. Polygons define the limits of proposed groups.

Figure 34. Erythemis mithroides distribution map.

Figures 10–17. Discrete characters of vulvar lamina, abdominal appendages, thorax, and femur.Numbers represent the following species: 10) E. peruviana female; 11) E. plebeja female; 12) E. simplicicollis male; 13) E. mithroides male; 14) E. vesiculosa male; 15) E. peruviana female; 16) E. vesiculosa female, 17) E. attala male. Abbreviations indicate the following characters, S 8 -S 9: Abdominal segments 8-9; LV: Vulvar lamina; Pb: Posterior border; Vt: Teeth ventral; Ai: Inferior appendage; As: Antehumeral stripe.

Figures 18–25. Discrete characters of vesica spermalis. Numbers represent the following species:18) E. mithroides, dorsal view; 19) E. carmelita, left side view; 20) E. vesiculosa, left side view; 21) E. peruviana, left side view; 22) E. credula, dorsal wiew; 23) E. haematogastra, right side view; 24) E. credula, finger-shaped structures, dorsal view; 25) E. plebeja, dorsal view. Abbreviations indicate the following characters, C: Cornua; L: Lateral lobe; H: Hook; Pb: Posterior border; M: Medial lobe; P: Posterior lobe; NH: Hook not bilobed.