Episynlestes intermedius, Theischinger & Watson, 1985

G. Theischinger & J. A. L. Watson, 1985, The Genus Episynlestes Kennedy (Odonata: Synlestidae), Australian Journal of Entomology 24, pp. 143-148 : 144-146

Episynlestes intermedius sp. n. ( Figs 1 , 5, 9, 13-17)

Episynlestes sp. near E. cristatus : Watson and Theischinger, 1984: 150.

Types— Holotype ♂, Queensland: Finch Hatton Gorge, 14-15.xi. 1982, L. Muller & G. Theischinger [in Australian National Insect Collection ( ANIC), CSIRO, Canberra ( ANIC Type No. 9886)]. Paratypes: 2 ♂, 2 ♀ teneral adults, 5 last-instar larval skins, same data as holotype ( ANIC and Theischinger collection) Male

.

Male

Dimensions — Fore wing length 32.5-33.5 mm; hind wing length 31.0-32.0 mm; length of abdomen with

appendages 49.0- 51.0 mm.

Colour pattern closely similar to those of E. albicauda and E. cristatus .

Head — Labium whitish to greyish yellow; labrum metallic green-black; mandible whitish to yellowish green with dark brown upper and lower margins; anteclypeus dull white with 1-2 greyish to blackish brown marks on each side; postclypeus, frons, vertex, occiput and outer part of gena metallic green-black, inner part of gena adjacent to mandible pale yellowish green; scape and basal half of pedicel yellowish white, rest of antenna black; cuticle surrounding antennal socket yellowish to greenish white; back of head dull yellow.

Cervix andprothorax — Cervical sclerites whitish to dull yellow. C entral pronotum brown with green or grey tones, darkest medially, in anterior furrow and on posterior lobe, paling peripherally to yellow-brown margin in front and at sides; pleural sclerites green-black; coxa and trochanter pale yellow; femur yellowish

to dark greyish brown, its apex dark brow n to black; tibia and tarsus greyish yellow to greyish brown, spines and tibial comb black; claws reddish brown.

Synthorax — Mesostigmatic lamina brownish black; collar largely brownish yellow; mesanepisternum metallic green-black except for yellowish brown humeral stripe along lower four-fifths of mesopleural suture; dorsal carina, antealar ridges and sinus and subalar ridges green-black; mesokatepisternum greenblack except for small, dull yellowish brown marginal area in posteroventral corner; mesepimeron largely metallic green-black, with large, triangular, dull yellow patch in anterodorsal corner, continuous with humeral stripe in front and with narrow, irregular pale band along midlateral suture behind, extending into pale yellow area surrounding and below metastigma; rest of metanepisternum largely green-black; metakatepisternum, metepimeron, postcoxa and poststernum pale yellow, except for triangular, green-black patch in upper, anterior corner of metepimeron; terga largely yellowish to greyish brown; mid and hind legs similar to fore legs.

Wings (Figs 1,5)— Venation black; membrane hyaline; basic venational characters similar to those of E. albicauda and E. cristatus . Pterostigm a moderately long, costal length 1.88-2.02 m m in fore wing, 2.06-2.12 mm in hind wing, about twice as long as broad in both wings; 2-3 cells between R, and R 2 behind distal half of pterostigm a faintly suffused with brow n. D iscoidal cell of fore wing elongate, its posterior side 3-5 times longer than inner side, of hind wing broadened, the costal side at least as long as inner side, the posterior side about 2.5 times as long.

Abdom en —Tergites 1-8 metallic greenish black m arked with dull, pale yellow as follows: tergite I with broad, m ediodorsal patch across anterior tw o-thirds and broad lateral patch along ventral m argin, widest in front; tergite 2 with broad, irregular stripe along ventral margin; tergites 3-7 with pair o fshort, subtriangular anterolateral marks, broadly separated in midline, each generally narrow ing into a pale line along ventral margin; tergite 8 with patch along ventral margin, broadest in front. Tergite 9 dull m etallic green-black. Segment 10 deeply excised posterolaterally to accommodate bases o f highly modified superior anal appendages; subtriangular median portion dull metallic black, remainder black adjacent to anal appendages, otherwise pale cream. Sternite 1 pale yellow to white. Sternites 3-7 largely black, basally dull yellowish white to pale brow n, continuous with pale anterolateral marks of corresponding tergites. Sternite 8 black. Most of sternite 9 black, posterior quarter, behind pale valvules, largely brown.

Secondary genitalia ( Figs 9, 13 )— Anterior lamina pale brow n, with darker brow n margins, its inner lobe broadly rounded in lateral view, not strongly produced anteriorly ( Fig. 9 ); posterior hamule pale; apex of glans produced into curved flagellum ( Fig. 13 ), as in other species of Episynlestes .

Anal appendages ( Figs 14-17 )— Superior appendages about 5 mm long, highly modified; long, slender, with upwardly directed, large, black basal lobe bearing long, dark brow n to black setae along its upper edge; distal part yellowish white, bifid, with long, gently convex, apically rounded outer branch and short, almost straight, sharply pointed inner branch, its outer m argin notched, step-wise, near m idpoint. Inferior appendages yellowish white, vestigial, narrow ly prom inent in midline.

Female

Both specimens are teneral, and their relatively pale colour may not be typical o f the mature female.

Dimensions— Fore wing length 33.8, 34.3 mm; hind wing length 32.3, 32.8 mm; length of abdomen 43.0, 44.0 mm.

Colour pattern very similar to that of male but pale areas more extensive; narrow, yellowish brown stripe on mesanepisternum on either side of dorsal carina; lower part of abdom inal tergite 9 pale; sternite 2 dark brown; sternite 8 brow n centrally, pale laterally; ovipositor and valves yellowish white.

Wings — Pterostigm a m oderately long, costal length 1.88 and 1.96 mm in fore wing, 2.08 and 2.16 mm in hind wing, breadth about half length; no dark pigm entation in cells behind pterostigm a. D iscoidal cells o f fore wing and hind wing similarly elongate, the posterior side 4-5 times longer than proxim al side.

Figures

Figs 1-8— Male Episynlestes: (1-4) pterostigma, right lore wing: (1) E. intermedius: (2-3) E. albicauda: (4) E. cristatus. (5-8) discoidal cell, right tore and hind wing: (5) E. intermedius: (6) E. albicauda: (7-8) E. cristatus Scale line: 5.0 mm for Figs 1 -4; 2.5 mm for Figs 5 - 8

Figs 9-20— Male Episynlestes: (9-12) anterior lamina of secondary genitalia, left lateral view: (9) E. intermedius; (10) E. albicauda\ (11-12) E. cristatus. (13) tip of glans, left lateral view, E. intermedius. (14-15) anal appendages, E. intermedius: (14) dorsal view; (15) lateral view. (16-20) inner branch of right superior anal appendage, dorsal view: (16-17) E. intermedius;(18) E. albicauda: (19-20) E. cristatus. Scale line: 5.0 mm for Figs 14-15; 2.5 mm for Figs 16-20; 2.0 mm for Fig. 13; 1.25 mm for Figs 9-12.