Notogomphus cobyae Dijkstra

Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B., Kipping, Jens & Mézière, Nicolas, 2015, Sixty new dragonfly and damselfly species from Africa (Odonata), Odonatologica 44 (4), pp. 447-678 : 569-571

Notogomphus cobyae Dijkstra sp. nov. – Coby’s Longleg (Type Photo 32, Photo 46, Figs 18, 19)

Taxonomy

Vick (2003) revised the Notogomphus species of Cameroon. Of the potentially sympatric species, the present male is both morphologically and genetically clearly separable from N. moorei Vick, 2003 and N. spinosus (Karsch, 1890) , but it could only be compared morphologically to N. maryae Vick, 2003 , which also appears sufficiently distinct.

Material studied

Holotype ♂. RMNH.INS.500119 , Cameroon, Northwest Province, 10 km SSE of Bamenda, Lake Awing , outlet stream of crater lake in eucalypt plantation and arable fields ( Photo 46), 2 050 m a.s.l. (5.864 ° N 10.197 ° E), 30 -v- - 2008, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH . No further material.

Type Photo 32. Holotype of Notogomphus cobyae sp. nov., RMNH.

Genetics

One unique haplotype (n = 1) nearest to N. spinosus and N. moorei .

Male morphological diagnosis

Recalls N. leroyi by its (a) largely black lower frons, clypeus and labrum; (b)broad and complete black interpleural stripes on the thorax as well as well-defined pale postdorsal and ante-humeral stripes separated clearly from each other; (c) the smoothly curved anterior border of the posterior hamule; (d) the convergent cerci that gradually widen from base, being widest one-quarter of their length from the abruptly narrowed apex, with the ventral tooth directed straight downwards, not visible in dorsal view; and (e) the strongly diverging branches of the epiproct ( Fig. 19). Differs in (1)its small size, Hw 28.5 mm (n= 1) rather than 31.0–34.0 mm (n= 4); (2)the absence of pale basal spots on the black labrum; (3) the wholly green occiput with a shallowly but distinctly W-shaped border, rather than black with rounded border; (4) the yellow of the collar extending between the middorsal carina and postdorsal stripes, being indistinctly separated from the latter; (5) the metapleural suture having at most a black trace at its dorsal end, rather than a broad black stripe along its full length ( Fig. 18); (6) the parallel-sided abdomen with S 7–9 only slightly expanded and S 8 about 1.5 × as long as wide; and (7) having S 8–9 black dorsally grading through rufous to yellow sides, rather than more uniformly dark rufous. The potentially sympatric N. maryae has a similar facial coloration and abdomen shape, but is larger (Hw 34 mm; n = 1) and has parallel-sided cerci with inwarddirected ventral teeth visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 19).

Etymology

The species was discovered shortly after the tenth anniversary of the death of the first author’s mother Jacoba “Coby” Dijkstra-Stutvoet (feminine singular genitive noun).

Range and ecology

Outlet stream of Lake Awing near Bamenda in Cameroon, a crater lake with forested borders in eucalypt plantation and arable fields at about 2 0 50 m a.s.l ( Map 8).