Megalestes omeiensis Chao, 1965

Yu, Xin & Xue, Junli, 2020, A review of the damselfly genus Megalestes Selys, 1862 (Insecta: Odonata Zygoptera: Synlestidae) using integrative taxonomic methods, Zootaxa 4851 (2), pp. 245-270 : 262

Megalestes omeiensis Chao, 1965

( Figs. 3f ; 4f ; 5d, q ; 6h )

Megalestes omeiensis Chao, 1965: 192 [Emeishan, Sichuan]

A large-sized species restricted to the western edge of the Sichuan Basin that has not been studied further since its original description. Chao (1965) indicated the holotype (m#, Emeishan, Sichuan, 1955-vi-20, 580– 1100 m, Yang Xingchi leg.) but did not attach a type tag to the specimen. Thus, for a long time, the holotype was unknown until the first author found it as well as two paratypes in IZAS and attached type tags. This species resembles M. heros as they are both the largest species in this genus and have a similar appearance. However, it is easy to distinguish them, in that the terminal lateral lobes of the genital ligula are small and curly in M. omeiensis but very large, like wings, in M. heros .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Caudal appendages of males (dorsal view). a) australis; b) irma, paratype; c) distans, from Yaan, Sichuan; d) distans from Dashahe, Guizhou; e) heros; f) omeiensis, paratype; g) kurahashii; h) major; i) haui; j) “palaceus”; k) micans, bd: basal disk; l) “chengi”; m) riccii; n) “maai”; o) “tuska,” from Damingshan, Guangxi; p) “tuska,” from Jinxiu, Guangxi. (Scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 4. Caudal appendages of males (lateral view). a) australis; b) irma, paratype; c) distans, from Yaan, Sichuan; d) distans from Qingchengshan, Chengdu, Sichuan; e) heros; f) omeiensis, paratype; g) kurahashii; h) major; i) haui; j) “palaceus”; k) micans; l) “Chengi,” paratype; m) riccii; n) maai; o) tuska, from Damingshan, Guangxi; p) tuska, from Jinxiu, Guangxi. (Scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 5. Genital ligula of males (lateral view) (a–m) and ventral view (n–ab). a) australis; b) distans; c) heros; d) omeiensis, paratype; e) major; f) irma, paratype; g) “palaceus”; h) haui; i) “Chengi”; j) maai; k) riccii; l) tuska; m) micans; n) australis, Hr: horn; o) distans, Tlb: terminal lateral lobe; p) heros; q) omeiensis, paratype; r) major; s) irma, paratype; t) kurahashii; u) “palaceus”; v) haui; w) micans, from Jinping, Yunnan; x) “Chengi”; y) maai; z) riccii, Blb: basal lateral lobe; aa) tuska, Mlb: middle lateral lobe; ab) micans, from Fengyangshan, Zhejiang. (Scale bar = 0.2 mm).

FIGURE 6. Line drawing of male paraprocts (lateral view). a) australis; b) distans; c) gyalsey; d) kurahashii; e) major; f) haui; g) heros; h) omeiensis; i) micans; j) micans; k) riccii; l) irma.