taxonID	type	description	language	source
D282A66D4C9D5363AF9BEA133B809DD4.taxon	description	Figs 1, 2 A, C, 3 A, D, G, 4 A, 5 A, 6 B	en	Salah, Mohamed, Baleela, Rania, Ahmed, Esraa Yousif, Isam, Babiker, Abdalla, Almontasirbillah, Masri, Mai, Elfaki, Esra (2025): Paragomphus alami sp. nov. (Odonata, Gomphidae): a new dragonfly species described from the White Nile River, Sudan. ZooKeys 1265: 159-174, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1265.168108
D282A66D4C9D5363AF9BEA133B809DD4.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Paragomphus alami (Fig. 1 B) closely resembles P. lacustris in the following: (a) habitus moderate size, hindwing length 24 – 25 mm; (b) labrum pale; (c) thorax yellowish-green, with fine, poorly defined brown stripes; (d) S 8 - 9 with broad foliations; (e) cerci thick, with blunt apex ending in a black tooth and cerci parallel to each other to their end; (f) epiproct reduced to about one-third the length of the cerci. However, P. alami is readily distinguished from P. lacustris in the following: (1) pterostigma yellow but brown in P. lacustris; (2) mesepisternum bearing two stripes, one running parallel to the middorsal stripe, while the other is straight and situated near the antealar sinus, extending anteriorly toward the head and dividing apically into two short branches that form a distinct Y-shape (Fig. 2); (3) cerci shorter and less curved than in P. lacustris, which has longer cerci that are strongly curved toward the epiproct, especially when seen from the ventral view (Fig. 3); and (4) epiproct shorter than in P. lacustris, and its basal section, in lateral view, abbreviated, more strongly upcurved, and sharply demarcated from the apical section (Figs 3, 4). Paragomphus alami is distinguished from P. elpidius and P. lemperti by the following: (1) pterostigma yellow but brown in P. elpidius and P. lemperti; (2) thoracic stripes fine and poorly defined but in P. elpidius and P. lemperti they are sharp, bold, and well defined; (3) cerci thick with blunt apex ending in a black tooth but in P. elpidius and P. lemperti they are slender and strongly curved and with a fairly blunt apex; and (4) epiproct shorter and its basal section, in lateral view, is abbreviated, more strongly upcurved, sharply demarcated from the apical section, and the epiproct’s two branches lack the sharp black tooth at their end, but in P. elpidius and P. lemperti the epiproct is relatively longer and the two branches terminate in a black sharp tooth.	en	Salah, Mohamed, Baleela, Rania, Ahmed, Esraa Yousif, Isam, Babiker, Abdalla, Almontasirbillah, Masri, Mai, Elfaki, Esra (2025): Paragomphus alami sp. nov. (Odonata, Gomphidae): a new dragonfly species described from the White Nile River, Sudan. ZooKeys 1265: 159-174, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1265.168108
D282A66D4C9D5363AF9BEA133B809DD4.taxon	description	Morphological description. Total body length 49 mm, abdomen (excluding appendages) 36 mm, forewing length 27 mm, hindwing length 25.5 mm, forewing pterostigma 3.6 mm. Eyes, in life, are pale blue; frons, anteclypeus, and postclypeus are yellowish green, with a median row of small, black spots on the postfrons. The vertex near the ocellus is light brown with yellow spots. The labrum, mandibles, and genae are uniformly pale. The thorax is mostly yellowish green, with a thin brown metapleural stripe and a slightly broader brown middorsal stripe. The lower part of metepisternum below the metastigma is pale yellow. There are two fine brown stripes on mesepisternum: one runs parallel to middorsal stripe, and the other one straight and near the antealar sinus, extending anteriorly toward the head and dividing into two short branches at the end, where it forms a Y shape, a feature absent in P. lacustris (Fig. 2 A, C). Both the metepimeron and mesepimeron near the legs have dark-brown ends. The base of the legs (coxa and trochanter) near the abdomen is creamy white. The femur is pale yellow, with a light-brown border, and the tibia and tarsus are dark brown to black. The wings are hyaline, lacking any tint or marking, and the pterostigma is yellow. The abdomen, in general, is brown with white rings. Segment 1 is pale yellow to yellowish green, with a slight brownish tint posterodorsally near the tergite margins. Segment 2 bears a broad, central brown band, proximally yellowish-green and creamy white border at the genital lobes. Segments 3 – 7 are reddish brown, with pale intersegmental regions and distinct black apical rings. Segments 8 and 9 carry broad foliations; the one on segment 8 is broad, while the one on segment 9 is reduced. The upper halves of segments 8 and 9 are reddish brown, while the basal halves are pale. Segment 10 is apically reddish brown, with a pale terminal edge. The secondary genitalia are black (Fig. 5). The caudal appendages are brown, and in dorsal view, the cerci are thick, with a blunt apex ending with black teeth; the cerci are parallel to one another to their end, resembling those of other Paragomphus species in the elpidius - group. The epiproct is short, and near the apex, there is a distinct gap between its branches, forming an eye-shaped opening (Fig. 3 D). In lateral view, the cerci are short, thick, and with a blunt apex terminating with a black tooth; the epiproct is short (about one-third the length of the cerci) and shorter than the epiproct in both P. lacustris and P. elpidius. The basal section of the epiproct is notably abbreviated, more strongly upcurved, and sharply demarcated from the apical section. As a result, the epiproct’s dorsal processes appear as two relatively sharp black teeth, which lie between the epiproct’s base and tips. The apical section is comparatively short, and its two branches lack the terminal black teeth found in P. elpidius. In ventral view, the cerci are short, less curved, straighter toward the tips, and shorter than the P. lacustris cerci, which are longer and more curved toward the epiproct. The epiproct of P. alami, in ventral view, shows a distinct form that separates it from all other elpidius - group species; at the end, each branch is triangular (Fig. 3 G). The female is similar to male but lacks foliations on S 8 and S 9 (Fig. 6).	en	Salah, Mohamed, Baleela, Rania, Ahmed, Esraa Yousif, Isam, Babiker, Abdalla, Almontasirbillah, Masri, Mai, Elfaki, Esra (2025): Paragomphus alami sp. nov. (Odonata, Gomphidae): a new dragonfly species described from the White Nile River, Sudan. ZooKeys 1265: 159-174, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1265.168108
D282A66D4C9D5363AF9BEA133B809DD4.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The species is named in honour of the late Sudanese scientist Dr Tigani Mohammed Hassan Alam, whose lifelong dedication to documenting and safeguarding Sudan’s wildlife left a profound impact on conservation efforts across the country. Although his contributions were not formally recorded in the academic literature, his influence endures through the generations of Sudanese youth he inspired to appreciate and protect the nation’s natural heritage.	en	Salah, Mohamed, Baleela, Rania, Ahmed, Esraa Yousif, Isam, Babiker, Abdalla, Almontasirbillah, Masri, Mai, Elfaki, Esra (2025): Paragomphus alami sp. nov. (Odonata, Gomphidae): a new dragonfly species described from the White Nile River, Sudan. ZooKeys 1265: 159-174, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1265.168108
D282A66D4C9D5363AF9BEA133B809DD4.taxon	distribution	Distribution, habitat, and biology. Paragomphus alami was first recorded on 15 July 2017 in Sunt Forest (15 ° 36 ' 05 " N, 32 ° 29 ' 59 " E; 378 m a. s. l), a riparian woodland on the eastern bank of the White Nile River, which is dominated by Vachellia nilotica. At the time, the species was misidentified as Paragomphus genei. Between 2017 and 2023 it was recorded from five localities along the White Nile (Fig. 7). The species showed a strong seasonal occurrence in floodplain habitats along the White Nile. It was most abundant between June and September, particularly in areas with dense Vachellia nilotica cover such as at Jebel Aulia and Al-Dabbasin Bridge, where as many as 300 – 400 individuals were recorded during peak periods; they usually disappeared completely by October. In 2018, the V. nilotica tree cover at Al-Dabbasin Bridge was completely removed, leading to a sharp decline in the number of individuals observed, with only a single female recorded afterwards. This suggests a sensitivity to deforestation. Paragomphus alami appears to be restricted to large, sandy rivers with well-developed riparian vegetation, particularly Vachellia - dominated floodplains (Fig. 8). The presence of adult stages appear to be associated with the density of Vachellia cover in surrounding floodplain habitats. Field observations suggest a flight period extending from early June to late September, with only a few individuals observed in early October. Adult emergence likely begins in early June. Adults are often seen resting on high branches in Vachellia trees, possibly due to advantageous camouflage. Individuals can occasionally be seen perched on branches and fallen trees closer to the ground. Mating has only been observed at dusk. These ecological associations are based solely on adult-stage observations; larval habitat preferences remain unknown.	en	Salah, Mohamed, Baleela, Rania, Ahmed, Esraa Yousif, Isam, Babiker, Abdalla, Almontasirbillah, Masri, Mai, Elfaki, Esra (2025): Paragomphus alami sp. nov. (Odonata, Gomphidae): a new dragonfly species described from the White Nile River, Sudan. ZooKeys 1265: 159-174, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1265.168108
