Nososticta salomonis

Theischinger, Günther, Mitchell, Andrew, Richards, Stephen J. & Polhemus, Dan A., 2023, Systematics of the Nososticta salomonis complex (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platycnemididae), Zootaxa 5296 (2), pp. 101-146 : 129-131

Key to the species of the Nososticta salomonis complex

1a - From Solomon Islands ( Map 1 ); (Pls 7, 8)........................................................ N. salomonis

1b - From Indonesia and Papua New Guinea ( Maps 2–4 ).......................................................... 2

2a - Male S2 with distinct blue dorsal marking ( Figs 55, 56 )....................................................... 3

2b - Male S2 without distinct blue dorsal marking............................................................... 4

3a - Male S2 with distinct antero-dorsal mark or pair of marks and postero-dorsal mark ( Fig. 55 ); poststernum in both sexes with very dark well-defined wing-shaped mark ( Figs 57 ); Bismarck Archipelago; a single surprising record from north-eastern New Guinea ( Map 2 ).............................................................................. N. africana

3b - Male S2 with distinct postero-dorsal mark only ( Fig. 56 ); poststernum in both sexes without very dark well-defined wing-shaped mark ( Fig. 58 ); from Tagula in the Lousiade Archipelago ( Map 3 )........................... N. tagula sp. nov.

4a - Male ante-humeral patches separated by stalked Y- shaped, black median area ( Fig. 59 ); female ante-humeral patches reverse comma-shaped, bent, markedly shorter than one half the length of mesanepisternum ( Fig. 60 ); from Bougainville Island ( Map 1 )................................................................................. N. hedigeri sp. nov.

4b - Male ante-humeral patches separated by variably trapezoidal black median area ( Figs 61, 63, 65 ); female ante-humeral patches not reverse comma-shaped or bent ( Figs 62, 64 )............................................................. 5

5a - Both sexes with ante-humeral patch shorter than one half the length of mesanepisternum ( Figs 61, 62 ); from northern and eastern New Guinea ( Map 4 )............................................................. N. stueberi sp. nov.

5b - Both sexes with ante-humeral patch longer than one half the length of mesanepisternum ( Figs 63–65 ); from southern New Guinea ( Map 4 )....................................................................................... 6

6a - Male with medial and apical margin of ante-humeral patch sinuous or curved and metepimeral patch convex in dorsal half ( Fig. 63 ) and with abdominal segment 7 dorsally unmarked; known only from Western Province, Palmer River Catchment, upper Fly River basin ( Map 4 )....................................................................... N. chrismulleri

6b - Male with medial and apical margin of ante-humeral patch almost straight, metepimeral patch not convex in dorsal half ( Fig. 65 ) and with abdominal segment 7 with pair of separate or connected bluish spots anterior to a rather diffuse and ill-defined bluish area; female with large bluish antero-dorsal patch on abdominal segment 7; known from Gulf Province, Kikori River basin ( Map 4 ).......................................................................... N. boonei sp. nov .

Figures

MAP 1.—Distribution of species of the Nososticta salomonis complex in the Solomon Islands.

MAP 2.—Distribution of Nososticta africana (Schmidt) in the Bismarck Archipelago and adjacent Huon Peninsula.

MAP 3.—Distribution of Nososticta tagula sp. nov. in the Louisiade Archipelago.

MAP 4.—Distribution of species of the Nososticta salomonis complex on mainland New Guinea.

FIGURES 55–65. Nososticta species. (55, 56) male abdominal segment 2, dorsal: (55) N. africana (Schmidt); (56) N. tagula sp. nov.; (57–65) synthorax, schematically: (57) N. africana (Schmidt), female; (58) N. tagula sp. nov., female; (59, 60) N. hedigeri sp. nov.: (59) male; (60) female; (61, 62) N. stueberi sp. nov.: (61) male; (62) female; (63) N. chrismulleri Theischinger & Richards, male; (64, 65) N. boonei sp. nov.: (64) female; (65) male.