Calicnemia fortis, Dow, Rory A., Zia, Ahmed, Naeem, Muhammad & Rafi, Muhammad Ather, 2014

Dow, Rory A., Zia, Ahmed, Naeem, Muhammad & Rafi, Muhammad Ather, 2014, Calicnemia fortis sp. nov. from Pakistan (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platycnemididae), Zootaxa 3869 (3), pp. 338-342 : 338-342

Calicnemia fortis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 – 7 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂ (ODO/ZYG/217), Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Noseri, 11 v 2005, leg. S. A. Zia, deposited in the National Insect Museum, Islamabad, Pakistan. Paratype: ♂ (ODO/ZYG/ 218), data as holotype.

Etymology. The species is named fortis , an adjective, meaning robust, referring to the strong build and relatively large size of the species.

Description of holotype male. Head: labium dark brown. Labrum black, clypeus black except for 2 small pale, widely separated spots on postclypeus. Mandible bases black. Genae dark brown adjacent to mandible bases, elsewhere dark with irregular pale markings. An indistinct pale area at junction of frons and clypeus, frons otherwise matte black, vertex and occiput same, antennae with scape and pedicel black with brown sections at top, flagellum missing. Ocelli yellowish.

Thorax ( Fig. 1 ): Prothorax matte black with grey pruinesence covering most of propleuron, anterior lobe of pronotum and lateral anterior part of middle lobe. Synthorax matte black except for a narrow irregular yellowish stripe on metepisternum, broadest near legs where extending slightly onto mesepimeron, running above and over spiracle, tapering toward but not reaching antealar carina. A broad, irregular yellow stripe occupies much of metepimeron. Legs with coxae pale with obscure dark areas anteriorly and laterally, otherwise mostly dark brown and black with sparse grey pruinosity on trochanters and femora. Wings ( Figs. 2 – 3 ) with 5 postquadrangular cells in Fw, 4 in Hw. 18 Px in Fw, 16 (left) and 15 (right) Px in Hw. Pt pale, covering ca 2 underlying cells, approximately rhombic, but with costal side a little shorter than anal side.

Abdomen: S1 black dorsally, laterally mostly yellow. S2 mostly black with obscure rusty red markings in apical two thirds. S3 – 6 red, darkening with each successive segment, black behind posterior carina dorsally and in upper part laterally. S7 dark red dorsally except at apical extremity, same colour lower laterally, with a poorly defined black stripe between, except in basal ca one-fifth. S8 black with obscure dark red markings lower laterally and in basal half dorsally. S9 black except for apical red lower lateral mark. S10 black. Genital ligula ( Fig. 4 ) typical for group 2 Calicnemia , terminal segment with two broad apical lobes, almost square at ends. Anal appendages of typical form for the genus, as shown in Figs. 5–7 with interior ventral tooth located basally on cercus, bifurcated terminally.

Measurements (mm): Abdomen without anal appendages 37, paraprocts ca 1.5; Hw 28.5.

Female. Unknown.

Variation in paratype male. The paratype male ( Fig. 8 ) does not differ from the holotype in any significant way except that two full length pruinose antehumeral stripes are present, and there is more extensive pruinosity on the prothorax and laterally on the synthorax. Additionally abdominal S1 – 2 are largely pruinose grey.

Measurements (mm): Abdomen without anal appendages 35; Hw 28.5; 18 Px in Fw, 14 (right) or 16 (left) Px in Hw.

Diagnosis. A robust group 2 Calicnemia with synthorax black with yellow lateral marks and abdomen with S2 – 7 wholly or partly red. Separated from all other species of group 2 of Calicnemia except C. hasik Wilson & Reels, 2003 , C. mortoni ( Laidlaw, 1917) , C. nipalica Kimmins, 1958 , C. pulverulans (Selys, 1886) and C. rectangulata Laidlaw, 1932 by the black mesepisternum lacking antehumeral markings or with only pruinose blue antehumeral markings. Distinguished from C. pulverulans by the entirely black abdomen and the more rounded ends of the lobes of the terminal segment of the ligula of that species. Distinguished from C. hasik by more extensive red colouration on the abdomen, broader lobes of the terminal segment of the ligula and shorter tooth on the cercus in lateral view. C. rectangulata differs in the extent of the red markings in the abdomen and in having a much larger tooth on the cercus, very prominent in lateral view. C. nipalica has the terminal segment of the ligula deeply divided. C. mortoni has a longer but less broad tooth on the cercus and the terminal segment of the ligula deeply divided.

Remarks. In his PhD thesis ( Zia 2010) the second author gave this species a name, Indocnemis ahmedi , and presented a (composite) description, but also issued a disclaimer, citing article 8.2 of the International code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 2012), to the effect that “description of new species i.e. Indocnemis ahmedi provided in this dissertation is not issued for public and permanent scientific record or for purposes of zoological nomenclature”. The name ahmedi is therefore not available; in any case it would not have been available because no holotype was designated (article 16.4.1).

Calicnemis fortis was found flying within tall grassy vegetation around an open spring which runs into a fast flowing stream. Calicnemia eximia was common at the same site. Unfortunately following the devastating earthquake in October 2005 the spring at the type locality dried up, and the species has not been relocated in that area despite repeated searches by the second author in the following three years. However, Zia (2010) lists two additional males from a location in North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. These specimens have not been seen by the first author and in the view of the second author might represent a different species, because they differ quite substantially in colouration and some other characters as well; therefore they are left out of consideration here. The species should be searched for not just in neighbouring regions of Pakistan, but also in the neighbouring Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

In life the markings on the abdomen were pinkish red, becoming darker on S6–7; in the holotype they have faded considerably with preservation. The colour of the paratype male ( Fig. 8 ) is better preserved than that of the holotype, as is the extensive pruinosity on the thorax and abdominal S1–2. In the holotype there is no indication of any antehumeral markings, but pruinose antehumeral stripes are present in the paratype. Possibly, as is the case in males of some other Calicnemia species, e.g. C. soccifera Yu & Chen, 2013 , yellow antehumeral markings are present in immature individuals but later these markings become completely pruinose ( Yu & Chen 2013). In the case of C. fortis , possibly the underlying marking fades completely, leading to the condition now seen in the holotype.

Calicnemia fortis comes closest to C. pulverulans , from which it differs principally in the colour of the abdomen and details of the genital ligula. Calicnemia pulverulans has been recorded as far west as the Nanda Devi Bisophere Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, India ( Kumar 1997), but this is more than 600 km from the type locality of C. fortis . Differences from C. pulverulans and other species most closely resembling the available material of C. fortis are given in the diagnosis. Considering the remaining species in group 2 of Calicnemia , C. fortis males are easily separated from those of C. chaseni (Laidlaw in Campion & Laidlaw, 1928), C. miles ( Laidlaw, 1917) , C. miniata (Selys, 1886) , C. chaoi Wilson, 2004 , and C. zhuae Zhang & Yang, 2008 , which have bright red or orange antehumeral stripes as well as differences in the anal appendages and genital ligula; uniquely in the genus C. chaoi possesses amber wings ( Wilson 2004). Of three Chinese species with males possessing yellow or pruinosed antehumeral stripes: C. gulinensis Yu & Bu, 2008 , C. porcata Yu & Bu, 2008 and C. soccifera , C. soccifera has the terminal segment of the genital ligula with much narrower lobes and legs with a red or yellow femur contrasting with a black tibia. Calicnemia gulinensis has an orange abdomen and far more extensive pale markings on labrum and clypeus and C. porcata differs in the colouration of the head, details of the tooth on the cercus and in the ligula, which bears a distinctive ridge centrally on the terminal segment, and has the lobes almost square ended. This leaves two species that have not been placed in either of Lieftinck’s groups within Calicnemia ; these are dealt with below.

The species group to which C. uenoi Asahina, 1997 , from Vietnam belongs is unclear because Asahina provided no illustration of the ligula. Asahina (1997: 22) stated that C. uenoi is “One of the typical Calicnemia species ...”, but judging from the illustrations it seems atypical in the form of the tooth on the cercus, a narrow median spine rather than the robust tooth, normally with a bifid tip, and typically placed more basally, that is usual in Calicnemia . The type series of C. uenoi was deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan, but at the present time it cannot be located (Akihiko Sasamoto and Takuya Kiyoshi, personal communication). However, in the collection of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center (RMNH), Leiden, there is a male labelled as C. uenoi from the area of the type locality, donated from the collection of Matti Hämäläinen and originally collected by Haruki Karube. It is difficult to reconcile the anal appendages of the RMNH specimen with Asahina’s illustrations, and this specimen seems close to C. hasik . When describing C. hasik, Wilson & Reels (2003: 266) commented on Asahina’s description of C. uenoi and, understandably, concluded that their species was distinct; the RMNH specimen suggests that further study of this matter is needed. It is to be hoped that the type series of C. uenoi will become available in the near future. In any case, C. uenoi as illustrated by Asahina is clearly distinguished from C. fortis by the form and position of the tooth on the cercus, and C. hasik and the RMNH specimen differ from C. fortis in the details of the ligula, anal appendages and colouration.

Calicnemia sudhaae Mitra, 1994 , known from Mizoram in northeast India and which is said ( Mitra 2002) to resemble C. pulverulans , does not appear to have been assigned to either species group within Calicnemia . This species is illustrated in Mitra (2002: figs. 54-56) where the ligula appears to have ribbon-like flagellae, an impression confirmed by the text “flagella one pair, long ribbon like with pointed apex” ( Mitra 2002: 56). Therefore C. sudhaae belongs to group 1 of Calicnemia and need not be considered further here.

The large size and long wing length of this species partly accounts for the high count of postquadrangular cells in C. fortis , a character that Fraser (1933), following Laidlaw (1917), used to separate Calicnemia from Indocnemis Laidlaw, 1917 . Recent authors have seldom or never given counts of the postquadrangular cells in their descriptions of Calicnemia species, but the illustration of the Hw of C. chaoi shows 4 postquadrangular cells ( Wilson 2004: 429, fig. 21). Lieftinck (1977: 20, 22) stated that C. miniata males from northern India and Nepal examined have 3 – 4 postquadrangular cells and that even the holotype male of C miles has 3 – 3-1/2 postquadrangular cells. In fact the wing photograph of C. pulverulans in Laidlaw (1917: plate XV, fig. 3), the same publication where Indocnemis was described and where the count of postquadrangular cells was first used to distinguish Calicnemia from Indocnemis , shows almost 4 postquadrangular cells in the left Fw. It is to be hoped that these examples will finally lay to rest the idea that the count of postquadrangular cells is a character of value for distinguishing Calicnemia from related genera.

With the addition of C. fortis , Calicnemia consists of 22 named species, unless C. pyrrhosoma Lieftinck, 1984 is recognised; this name persists on some world Odonata checklists although it was established as a junior synonym of C. doonensis Sangal & Tyagi, 1984 by Hämäläinen (1989). Yu & Bu (2008) commented on the extent of variability of markings with age and possibly location in C. sinensis Lieftinck, 1984 , and geographical variation in markings may occur in other species, so that caution is needed in separating species based entirely on colour patterns. However, structural differences in ligula and caudal appendages are also often subtle, rendering Calicnemia a difficult genus to work on. As noted by Yu & Chen (2013), some of the Chinese species “seem to be closely related, and more detailed studies are needed to clarify their true relationships”; we can only extend this statement to the whole genus.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Habitus of Calicnemis fortis paratype.

FIGURES 1 – 3. Calicnemia fortis holotype: (1) lateral view thorax; (2) left Fw; (3) left Hw.

FIGURES 4 – 7. Calicnemia fortis holotype: (4) genital ligula ventral-lateral view; (5) anal appendages lateral view; (6) cercus interior view; (7) anal appendages dorsal view.