identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
03ED6E35FFAC80386EA304C6FC68FD51.text	03ED6E35FFAC80386EA304C6FC68FD51.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Nesobasis delai Marinov & Rashni 2025	<div><p>Nesobasis delai sp. nov.</p><p>(Figs 2–3)</p><p>Holotype. ♂ (NZAC04231103), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.87&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.5947" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.87/lat -18.5947)">headwater system, a tributary of Waitabu Lake</a>, 18.5947S, 179.8700E, 413 m a.s.l., 26 October 2020, DR leg.</p><p>Paratype. 1♂ (USPac_14002), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8744&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.5903" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8744/lat -18.5903)">Wailevu Creek under the Savukaratu waterfall above Maloku village</a>, 18.5903S, 179.8744E, 260 m a.s.l., 4 May 2024, MM leg .</p><p>Etymology. The name refers to the fact that both male specimens were collected from higher sections of the water courses on the island; Fijian word “ delai ” [= hilltop]. The name is a noun in apposition.</p><p>Description of holotype</p><p>(Fig. 2)</p><p>Head (Fig. 2B–C). Labium pale—white posteriorly and yellow anteriorly; genae yellow-green around the bases of mandibles continuing to the tips of the latter (except for a brown spot at the level of the border between labrum and anteclypeus) and the anteclypeus; labrum dark yellow with a wide brown bar at the base; remainder of face bluish on almost entire surface of the genae up to base of the scape, going transversely towards each other on the frons along base of postclypeus interrupted by a black bar at middle of frons; postclypeus black; black on remainder of the head down to rear part up to a yellow area close to the posterolateral corners of labium with light areas as follows: yellow anteriorly of the median ocellus, yellow triangular spot on anterior faces of toruli and dorsal corners of scape; pedicel brown, flagella missing; eyes discoloured.</p><p>Thorax (Fig. 2A–B). Prothorax entirely black with white pruinescence ventrally on middle lobe, posterior lobe raised up. Pterothorax predominantly black on mesothoracic segments with blue as follows: spindle-shaped spot along the mesopleural suture, spot at dorso-posterior end of mesepimeron, ventral 1/3 rd of mesinfraepisternum; metathorax predominantly blue with black as follows: inverted “C” at the posterior end of metepisterunum, rim around metathoracic spiracle and tiny spot at the dorso-anterior corner, dorso-posterior corner of metinfraepisternum; faint line along the dorsal corner of mesinfraepisternum. Legs: coxae bicoloured yellow anteriorly with posterior faces black on prolegs and pale blue on the other legs; trochanters yellow; femora yellow anteriorly and black posteriorly; colouration on the tibiae reversed (dark inner and pale outer faces) with small brown spots on the yellow areas at the bases and the tips; tarsi dark yellow becoming darker brown at the tips; mesostigmal plate with stout widely rounded tubercle at the dorso-posterior corner, black with pale on the top of the tubercles.</p><p>Wings (Fig. 2D). Venation black; pterostigma entirely black in FW, black with pale line along the costal edge at anterior corner; FW: 16 Px, RP 2 at 6 th Px; HW: 14 Px, RP 2 at 5 th Px; arculus at 2 nd Ax in FW and slightly distal in HW.</p><p>Abdomen (Fig. 2A). Black on entire dorsum and most of lateral surfaces of all segments; blue on the ventral half of S1 tergum, posteriorly on S2, spots on S9; dark yellow on ventral edges of tergal segments S3–6; sterna mostly dark—yellow anteriorly and brown posteriorly becoming black towards the end, pruinescence on S8. Cerci (Fig. 2E–F) pincer-like black in colour with ventral expansions pale dorsally and dark ventrally; paraproct dark brown scarcely projecting beyond the posterior edges of S10. Penis (Fig. 2G–H): distal segment T-shaped with sides tapering towards the tip, laterally swollen and arched with a large spine underneath.</p><p>Measurements: AL 37.5, HW 24, HF 2.3, S 0.2, P 0.3, MDBE 1.56.</p><p>Variations of paratype</p><p>The single male paratype has been discoloured and the chromatic variations were assessed based on the overall body pattern. Figure 3 presents the most significant differences observed on the thorax. Black occupies larger areas along the interpleural suture with the marking on the metepisternum connected to the dark are on the mesepimeron. Dark patches developed in between mid- and hind coxae, ventro-anterior corner of metinfraepisternum and posterior end of metepimeron. The latter present on both sides of the thoracic capsule, however, it may be a postmortem effect with the live individuals probably having the entire segment blue as indicated on the body of the holotype.</p><p>Measurements: AL 33, HW 21.5.</p><p>Differential diagnosis</p><p>The shape of cerci, measurements of antennal segments and length of legs classify males of N. delai as a member of the so called longistyla -group of taxa following the convention given in Donnelly (1990) and idiognosis provided in Donnelly &amp; Marinov (2024: 155). Males of N. delai have a unique combination of characters which reviewed individually would bring them closer to any member of the group (apart of N. caerulescens Donnelly, 1990 known by females only). The penis structure (T-shaped distal segment) is typical of N. campioni Tillyard, 1924, N. monticola Donnelly, 1990, and N. nedeltshevae Marinov &amp; Rashni, 2023 . The transverse bar of the “T” resembles N. nedeltshevae most, but the tapering shape of this segment and the large spine underneath is similar to the structure of N. monticola . However, in N. delai the segment looks larger and arching in lateral view as opposed to almost flat in N. monticola . In dorsal view the cerci are very close or almost identical to N. caerulecaudata Donnelly, 1990 and N. longistyla Selys, 1891 . Males of N. delai can be distinguished by the ventral inner expansion which occupies ¾ of the length as opposed to extending slightly more than halfway in the other two. General body colouration of N. delai (predominantly black with blue) is closest to N. longistyla especially in the abdominal pattern and pruinosity of the thorax and black markings on the metepisternum (e.g. fig. 173A–B in Donnelly &amp; Marinov 2024: 176), but the thorax of N. delai lacks the black area along the metapleural suture (present in most of N. longistyla variations) and has a characteristic marking along the interpleural suture (see Fig. 2B).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03ED6E35FFAC80386EA304C6FC68FD51	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Marinov, Milen;Rashni, Bindiya	Marinov, Milen, Rashni, Bindiya (2025): A contribution to the Odonata fauna of Moala Island, Fiji. Part I: erection of three new species in genera Nesobasis Selys, 1891 and Nikoulabasis Ferguson et al., 2023 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Zootaxa 5637 (2): 292-310, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5637.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5637.2.4
03ED6E35FFAA80366EA30165FD76FD9D.text	03ED6E35FFAA80366EA30165FD76FD9D.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Nesobasis malokuensium Marinov & Rashni 2025	<div><p>Nesobasis malokuensium sp. nov.</p><p>(Figs 4–8)</p><p>Holotype. ♂ (NZAC04231107), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8744&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.589" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8744/lat -18.589)">tributary of Wailevu creek above Maloku village</a>, 18.5890S, 179.8744E, 212 m a.s.l., 6 May 2024, MM leg.</p><p>Paratypes. 1 ♀ (NZAC04231081), same data as holotype; 5♀♀ (NZAC04231082, USPac_14004–7), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8744&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.5903" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8744/lat -18.5903)">section of Wailevu creek about 500 m above Maloku village up to the Savukaratu waterfall</a>, 18.5876S, 179.8741E to 18.5903S, 179.8744E, 151–260 m a.s.l., 4 May 2024, MM leg .; 2♀♀ (NZAC04231079, USPac_14008), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8733&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.591" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8733/lat -18.591)">Wailevu creek above the Savukaratu waterfall</a>, 18.5910S, 179.8733E, 321 m a.s.l., 6 May 2024, MM leg .; 1♀ (USPsc_14003), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.889&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.6209" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.889/lat -18.6209)">Kedrau creek, native forested lowland stream by Keteira village</a>, 18.6209S, 179.8890E, 17 m a.s.l., 23 October 2020, BR leg .</p><p>Allotype. ♀ (NZAC04231078), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8744&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.5903" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8744/lat -18.5903)">section of Wailevu creek about 500 m above Maloku village up to the Savukaratu waterfall</a>, 18.5876S, 179.8741E to 18.5903S, 179.8744E, 151–260 m a.s.l., 4 May 2024, MM leg.</p><p>Additional material: 1♂ (FSCA), no locality, 13 July 1924, E.H. Bryan leg. (head and last five abdominal segments are missing); 1♂ 2♀♀, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8744&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.5903" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8744/lat -18.5903)">section of Wailevu creek about 500 m above Maloku village up to the Savukaratu waterfall</a>, 18.5876S, 179.8741E to 18.5903S, 179.8744E, 151 to 260 m a.s.l., 4 May 2024, MM leg .; 1♂, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8733&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.591" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8733/lat -18.591)">Wailevu creek above the Savukaratu waterfall</a>, 18.5910S, 179.8733E, 321 m a.s.l., 6 May 2024, MM leg .; 2♂♂, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8744&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.589" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8744/lat -18.589)">tributary of Wailevu creek above Maloku village</a>, 18.5890S, 179.8744E, 212 m a.s.l., 6 May 2024, MM leg .</p><p>Etymology. These were the most common damselflies during the field sampling on Moala. The name is a combination of the name of the village Maloku with— ensium, a Latin morpheme (noun in the genitive case) denoting its inhabitants (= of the people of Maloku).</p><p>Description of holotype</p><p>(Fig. 4)</p><p>Head (Fig. 4B–C). Labium pale yellow; frontal part of head green-yellow with weak bluish on genae, with dark restriction as follows: brown spot midway at posterior edge of labrum, same colour on dorso-lateral corners of labrum, black lines going parallel on anterior and posterior ends of postclypeus, connected with black bar at the middle; pale areas on genae going up to the level of the dorsal end of scape, on frons entering the black at level midway along scape outlining crown-like black spot in front of median ocellus; antennal segments as follows: scape same colour as the pale area of frontal part of head, pedicel and flagellum brown; remainder of head black on the dorsum save for yellow spot anteriorly of the median ocellus with the black going down to rear part of a yellow area close to the posterolateral corners of labium, weak pruinescence laterally on the dark area around the foramen; eyes discoloured, green in life with traces of brown dorsally and intensive light green to yellow-green ventrally (Fig. 5).</p><p>Thorax (Fig. 4A–B). Prothorax pale blue-green on posterior lobe and black dorsally on middle and posterior except for a pale line along the posterior edge of posterior lobe; middle lobe pale blue-green laterally with dark line arching midway with yellow shades along edges. Pterothorax dark with slight green sheen occupying almost entire surface of mesepisternum save for yellow club-shaped marking on the ventro-anterior corner with very faint colour along dorsal carina, rest of thoracic capsule laterally almost entirely yellow with blue-green hue starting on disk of mesepimeron ventrally to level of metapleural suture, becoming pure yellow ventrally with dark spots as follows: transverse line close to the dorsal edge of mesinfraepisternum, black spot sitting on the metapleural suture close to posterior end, dark posteriorly on poststernum, faint spots around the dorso-anterior portion of mesepimeron and on track of interpleural suture. Legs: coxae yellow with faint blue on midlegs; trochanters yellow; femora yellow anteriorly and black on posterior faces following the same pattern—wide at junction with tibiae tapering toward the trochanters ending about 1/9 th before trochanter; tibiae yellow with brown at bases; tarsi and claws yellow with darker areas at the tips of the last segments; all segments of legs with hairs having black bases; mesostigmal plate roughly triangular in shape with terminal ends ventrally and dorso-posteriorly curved up and elevated from body, black on the disk outlined with pale along posterior edge.</p><p>Wings (Fig. 4D). Venation pale proximally to level of nodus, becoming darker distally; pterostigma dark with tiny pale line along the costal edge; FW: 13 Px, RP 2 at 6.5–7 th Px; HW: 12 Px, RP 2 at 6 th Px; arculus at 2 nd Ax in FW and slightly distal in HW.</p><p>Abdomen (Fig. 4A). Dark on the dorsum black on S1–2, S3–6 darker brown at the posterior 1/8 th of each segment, S7 black, S8 black with two blue spots, S9–10 almost entirely blue interrupted by a black line on dorsally on S10; terga pale starting half way laterally with colour as follows: S1 yellow anteriorly and blue posteriorly, S2 blue-green with slight yellow hue, S3 blue-green at the base and yellow posteriorly, rest of the segments yellow, same colour on the sterna with some black lines best pronounced on S7–8; pale colour on terga ascending dorsally along the anterior edge of segments of S3–7. Cerci (Fig. 4E–F) as long as the width of S10, approximately L-shaped in dorsal view, inner faces pale; paraproct dark brown, about 1/3 rd of the length of cerci with small horn-like projections curved towards each other. Penis (Fig. 4G–H) with distal segment T-shaped, lateral sides tapering towards the tip, laterally with a hump and the base and sloping distally.</p><p>Measurements: AL 32.5, HW 20.5, HF 2.5, S 0.2, P 0.4, MDBE 1.35.</p><p>Description of allotype</p><p>(Fig. 6)</p><p>Similar in facies to male with pale colour more vivid blue.</p><p>Head (Fig. 6B–C). Almost identical to holotype with blue increased in intensity; pruinescence more intensive as well.</p><p>Thorax (Fig. 6A–B, E). Similar to holotype with blue increased in intensity and faint spots on mesepimeron and on track of interpleural suture lacking.</p><p>Wings (Fig. 6D). Venation generally identical to holotype; variations: pterostigma brown outlined with tiny line around the whole edge; FW: 13–14 Px, RP 2 at 6–7 th Px; HW: 12 Px, RP 2 at 6 th Px; arculus at 2 nd Ax in FW and slightly distal in right HW only.</p><p>Abdomen (Fig. 6A). Almost identical to holotype with the dorsum of the terga unicoloured black, sterna with dark longitudinal lines along the whole length and S10 unicoloured blue on the dorsum. Cerci (Fig. 6F) black, slightly longer than the tip of the valves of ovipositor, paraproct dark dorsally and pale ventrally; styli dark with pale tips.</p><p>Measurements: AL 31.0; HW 22; HF 2.5; S 0.2; P 0.4; MDBE 1.35.</p><p>Note. Figure 7 displays the live colouration a female; note the eyes with vivid green anteriorly and blue posteriorly. The juvenile male has a similar pattern as the adult, but with the pale areas on the body replaced by yellow only, and the eyes bicoloured light brown dorsally and green anteriorly and ventrally (Fig. 8). This specimen was preserved in ethanol and not selected as a paratype but added to the additional material.</p><p>Variation within paratype series. Paratypes (all females) do not show great variation in the thoracic colour (Fig. 9). The shape and width of the dorsal line on the mesinfraepisternum was found the be the most variable property of the specimens. It is mostly crossing the whole segment as a wavy bar (see also Fig. 7 for live colour), but also is sometimes restricted to an anterior spot. The two blue spots dorso-laterally at the posterior part of S8 are mostly circular, being reduced in size in one specimen and missing in another. Variations in wings—FW: 13–16 Px, RP 2 at 6–7 th Px; HW: 11–13 Px; RP 2 at 5–6 th Px.</p><p>Measurements: AL 27.5–32.0, HW 19.5–22.5.</p><p>Differential diagnosis</p><p>The L-shaped cerci in dorsal view on males suggest classification of N. malokuensium under the so called erythrops - group of taxa following the convention given in Donnelly (1990) and idiognosis provided in Donnelly &amp; Marinov (2024: 11). The proportion of the antennal segments and length of legs (hind femora) relative to the posterior end of the thorax bring N. malokuensium morphologically closer to N. albistigma Donnelly &amp; Marinov, 2024, N. angulicollis Tillyard, 1924, N. auricularis Donnelly &amp; Marinov, 2024, N. latistyla Donnelly &amp; Marinov, 2024, N. monika Marinov, 2021, N. rufostigma Donnelly, 1990, N. tillyardi Donnelly &amp; Marinov, 2024, and N. viridis Donnelly &amp; Marinov, 2024 . The T-shaped distal segment of penis eliminates N. latistyla and N. rufostigma from this diagnosis. The dorsal view of the cerci in combination with the shape of paraprocts further excludes N. albistigma, N. angulicollis, N. auricularis and N. monika . The general shape of the appendages in lateral views (paraproct shorter than cerci to about twice the size of them) in N. malokuensium resemble the plan of N. tillyardi and N. viridis . Nesobasis tillyardi is excluded from comparison because of the paraprocts lack horn-like expansions. Members of N. viridis are found to be the closest to N. malokuensium . In addition to all features discussed above, the paraprocts of the two taxa in lateral view have the projections elevated dorsally, with tips that may be positioned in between the cerci and not visible. Males of the two taxa could be distinguished by the following combinations of structural characters ( N. viridis within parentheses): pale inner faces of cerci elliptical (roughly triangular), paraproct at about midpoint of cerci (distal from the midpoint); females: styli on ovipositor almost aligned with the tips of cerci, slightly surpassing (surpassing for almost the length of styli). Body colouration (especially on the head and thorax) is added here in support of the hypothesis for a separate species status of N. malokuensium ( N. viridis within parentheses): face predominantly blue (green), postfrons with T-shaped marking (lacking), prothorax laterally pale with a wavy cross line (almost entirely dark), mesepimeron pale blue (dark green), posterior edge of metepisternum with no black marking (inverted “C”-shaped marking).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03ED6E35FFAA80366EA30165FD76FD9D	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Marinov, Milen;Rashni, Bindiya	Marinov, Milen, Rashni, Bindiya (2025): A contribution to the Odonata fauna of Moala Island, Fiji. Part I: erection of three new species in genera Nesobasis Selys, 1891 and Nikoulabasis Ferguson et al., 2023 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Zootaxa 5637 (2): 292-310, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5637.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5637.2.4
03ED6E35FFA480336EA30164FDD2FEE1.text	03ED6E35FFA480336EA30164FDD2FEE1.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Nikoulabasis pauta Marinov & Rashni 2025	<div><p>Nikoulabasis pauta sp. nov.</p><p>(Figs 10–12)</p><p>Holotype. ♀ (NZAC04231104), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8744&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.5903" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8744/lat -18.5903)">section of Wailevu creek about 500 m above Maloku village up to the Savukaratu waterfall</a>, 18.5876S, 179.8741E to 18.5903S, 179.8744E, 151–260 m a.s.l., 4 May 2024, MM leg.</p><p>Paratypes. 1♀ (USP_14009), <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8653&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.5945" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8653/lat -18.5945)">headwaters of Waitabu stream, native forested lowland by Maloku village</a>, 18.5945S, 179.8653E, 394 m a.s.l., 26 October 2020, BR leg .; 1♀ (USP_14010), M1-Moala, Waitabu stream headwater, BR leg .; 2♀♀ (NZAC04231105-6), same data as the holotype .</p><p>Additional material (tenerals): 3♀♀, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=179.8744&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.5903" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 179.8744/lat -18.5903)">section of Wailevu creek about 500 m above Maloku village up to the Savukaratu waterfall</a>, 18.5876S, 179.8741E to 18.5903S, 179.8744E, 151–260 m a.s.l., 4 May 2024, MM leg .</p><p>Etymology. The species epithet originates from the Fijian word “ pauta ” [= powder] as a noun in apposition. It was selected for the intensive pruinosity of the body observed in majority of the specimens and is a key characteristic for distinguishing N. pauta individuals in the field.</p><p>Description of holotype</p><p>(Fig. 10)</p><p>Head (Fig. 10B–C). Labium pale yellow; frontal part of head yellow on genae, bases of mandibles ascending dorsally to level of dorsal end of toruli, crossing frons as a bar below level of antennal bases, partly on the disk of labrum and anteclypeus; labrum yellow with blue hue, green between antennal bases and eyes; dark areas as follows: reddish tips of mandibles, approximately M-shaped black marking at the base of labrum, pale brown lateral on the bases of mandibles and anteclypeus, almost entire postclypeus, brown line at the junction between postclypeus and frons; rest of head predominantly black with dark yellow to orange spots on antero-lateral faces of toruli, dorsal end of scape, two spots at each of the inner borders of toruli, spot anteriorly at median ocellus; black continues at the rear part of the head save for yellow next to foramen, with intensive pruinescence on the ventral surfaces of the lobes; eyes discoloured.</p><p>Thorax (Fig. 10A–B, E). All dark with intensive pruinescence. Prothorax black with two lateral yellow spots on the anterior lobe. Pterothorax black on mesepisterum with slight metallic sheen, brown on the rest of the segments with yellow around, edges of alar ridges and ventrally on mes- and metinfraepisterna and weak streak at ventral edge of metepimeron; black spot on the metapleural suture. Legs predominantly dark with pruinescence mainly on the femora: coxae yellow anteriorly and brown posteriorly, trochanters yellow; femora dark brown with paler line along the posterior edges on outer faces; tibiae brown at the bases (darker on the inner surfaces) transforming to dark yellow at the junction with tarsi; tarsi dark yellow at the bases of the segments and dark at the tips; darker coloration deeper on the claws.</p><p>Wings (Fig. 10D). Venation black; pterostigma brown; FW: 18 Px, RP 2 at 7–7.5 th Px; HW: 16 Px, RP 2 at 6.5 th Px; arculus at 2 nd Ax in all wings.</p><p>Abdomen (Fig. 10A). Black on the dorsum running from the base to the 2/3 rd of S9, rest of the dorsum (last 1/3 rd of S9 and S10) blue; ventral parts of terga yellow dark to orange on S1–7, pale yellow lines along the ventral edges starting from S4; sterna black. Ovipositor yellow with black serration. Cerci (Fig. 10F) black aligned with the tip of the valves, styli dark with orange tips.</p><p>Measurements: AL 28, HW 23, HF 3.5, S 0.2, P 0.5, MDBE 1.82.</p><p>Variations of paratypes</p><p>Figure 11 presents variations observed in the intensity of the body pruinosity, and metallic sheen on the mesepisternum and posterior abdominal segments. Reduced pruinosity is a postmortem effect due to the prolonged exposure into the liquid medium used for storing the specimens. All live individuals possessed very densely pruinose thoraxes (except for the mesepisterna only) and rear part of the head (cf. Fig. 12). The blue on the posterior abdominal segments is expanded in three specimens and developed at the posterior edges of S8, the blue area on S 9 in one specimen runs on the middle section of the entire dorsum. The metallic sheen on the body is mostly dark green or violet when observed at various angles. Spots at the inner corners of toruli are obscured to missing in one specimen. Variations in wings—FW: 18–19 Px, RP 2 at 7.5–8 th Px; HW: 16 Px; RP 2 at 6–7 th Px.</p><p>Measurements: AL 27–28, HW 21.5–22.</p><p>Note. This taxon is erected based on females only. Three teneral Nikoulabasis males (NZAC 04230646, NZAC 04230591, section of Wailevu creek about 500 m above Maloku village up to the Savukaratu waterfall, 18.5876S, 179.8741E to 18.5903S, 179.8744E, 151–260 m a.s.l., 4 May 2024, MM leg.; NZAC 04231108, Wailevu creek above the Savukaratu waterfall, 18.5910S, 179.8733E, 321 m a.s.l., 6 May 2024, MM leg.) were sampled soon after they emerged. One (NZAC 04231108) was photographed in the field (Fig. 13), kept alive for over 24 hours and then preserved in acetone. This specimen was the most likely candidate for the allotype; however, the age of the specimen made it very difficult to decide on the affiliation with the females assigned in here to N. pauta . Additionally, the structure of the posterior abdominal segments deviates from the idiognosis for the genus provided in Donnelly &amp; Marinov (2024: 184). The paraprocts are 1/3 rd the length of the cerci (see Fig. 13) which is atypical for members of Nikoulabasis where all males known so far have them subequal to slightly longer.All specimens are available for future studies when more Nikoulabasis males from Moala Island are collected.</p><p>Differential diagnosis</p><p>The overall dark colour (almost unicoloured body save for blue areas on the dorsum of S9–10) and the dense pruinescence in females of N. pauta are unique and separate it from the other congeners. In the general body stature females N. pauta resemble members of N. crassa Donnelly &amp; Marinov, 2024 . The similarity is increased by the presence of the pruinosity on the thorax as well as other body parts; the shape of the mesostigmal plate (dorsoposterior tubercle missing); and the origin of RP 2 (about midway between nodus and pterostigma). The posterior lobe of prothorax in lateral view is raised in a similar up-right position in members of the two taxa, however the posterior edge in N. crassa appears more invaginated, giving it a bilobed general outline in dorsal view (see fig. 203E in Donnelly &amp; Marinov 2024: 206). The length of the ovipositor (valvae not surpassing the tip of cerci) separates N. pauta from N. crassa (valvae surpassing the tip of cerci). In this feature females of N. pauta are closer to the females of N. furcifer Donnelly &amp; Marinov, 2024 . The blue dorsal spots on S9–10 are very similar in both taxa. Nikoulabasis furcifer females develop pruinescence as well, with the populations from Koro as the most notable example (see fig. 213 in Donnelly &amp; Marinov 2024: 215–216). Females N. pauta are much darker, with yellow areas much reduced (cross bar on the frons, ventral edges of tergites and ovipositor valvae) whereas females of N. furcifer are more vivid yellow. The general paler appearance of N. furcifer is enhanced by the presence of a red areas developed ventrally especially on S4–6, missing in N. pauta .</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03ED6E35FFA480336EA30164FDD2FEE1	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Marinov, Milen;Rashni, Bindiya	Marinov, Milen, Rashni, Bindiya (2025): A contribution to the Odonata fauna of Moala Island, Fiji. Part I: erection of three new species in genera Nesobasis Selys, 1891 and Nikoulabasis Ferguson et al., 2023 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Zootaxa 5637 (2): 292-310, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5637.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5637.2.4
