Planaeschna samurai, Kompier & Karube & Futahashi & Phan, 2021

Kompier, Tom, Karube, Haruki, Futahashi, Ryo & Phan, Quoc Toan, 2021, The genus Planaeschna McLachlan, 1895 and its subgroupings in Vietnam, with descriptions of three new species (Odonata: Aeshnidae), Zootaxa 5027 (1), pp. 1-35 : 5-8

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5027.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CCF10500-01A3-476C-A4BE-57161E164EBD

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A687CB-FFC4-FFF9-E0E7-761CFEB8FD4F

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Planaeschna samurai
status

sp. nov.

1. Planaeschna samurai sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 )

Holotype. ♂, Khau Pha, Tu Le , Yen Bai Prov. (N 21.739, E 104.280), 30-VI-2015, TK leg. GoogleMaps

Paratypes. 1 ♂, Pia Oac NP, Cao Bang Prov., 18-X-2014, TK leg .; 1 ♀, Nam Bung, Yen Bai Prov., 16-X-2015, TK leg .; 1 ♀, Tu Le, Yen Bai Prov., 10-VII-2016, TK leg. (Specimen used for description) .

Etymology. The species takes its name from the pattern on the dorsum of S2, which is reminiscent of the Japanese character for samurai “±”. A noun in apposition.

Description of holotype ( Fig. 3B, E View FIGURE 3 , G-H).

Head. Labium yellowish orange, base of mandibles and labrum yellow, labrum with lower margin orange, anteclypeus orange-brown, postclypeus greenish yellow with two orange dimples, covered in sparse dark hairs. Antefrons yellow with some greener tones, shading to brown at raised central part, covered in sparse dark hairs. Postfrons dark brown, covered in denser dark hairs. Antennae dark brown. Vertex and occiput black. Compound eyes green with some bluish tones, yellow at lower posterior margin.

Thorax. ( Fig. 3B, E View FIGURE 3 ) Prothorax pale brown. Pterothorax brown with yellow-green markings as follows: two green dorsal stripes on the mesepisternum and green markings on the antealar sinus, the width of the dorsal stripes less than the length of the antealar marking, mesepimeron dark brown along humeral suture, but largely covered by yellowish green broad lateral stripe. Mesinfraepisternum yellowish on posterior half. Metepisternum yellowish green along border with mesepimeron, otherwise brown, metepimeron greenish yellow. Metinfraepisternum with posterior half yellow. Venter yellowish green. Legs including spikes and claws blackish brown, but base of fore and middle femora orange-brown on the outer surface and yellow for proximal half on the inside.

Wings hyaline, veins black. Nodal index: 16–25:24–17/21–18:19–20; Pt blackish brown covering three underlying cells in FW and HW. Triangle 6-celled in FW, 5-celled in HW. Anal triangle 3-celled. Anal loop 13- celled.

Abdomen ( Fig. 3B, E View FIGURE 3 ) blackish brown with markings as follows: S1 with thin dorsal longitudinal stripe and laterally lower two-thirds yellow. S2 laterally lower two-thirds yellow, with yellow auricle and ill-defined pale brownish blotch on posterior half and dorsally with green longitudinal dorsal stripe, broadest at anterior margin, connecting with green stripe along posterior margin and two MD spots in the form of triangles with apices pointing outward, not connected to longitudinal dorsal stripe. S3 with large yellow AL mark covering anterior half, two triangular green MD and two oval PD spots and a dorsal longitudinal stripe, confluent with the PD spots, but vague between MD spots, and a small yellow PL spot narrowly connected to the AL spot. S4–8 with green MD spots, S4 also with oval PD spots and a mid-dorsal longitudinal line on anterior and on posterior half. S5–7 with progressively shorter mid-dorsal longitudinal stripe on anterior half. S3–8 with a yellow AL spot. S9–10 black.

Secondary genitalia apical segment of vesica spermalis of usual type with two somewhat globular spheres, but not much separated by apical cleft, and with ears at base.

Anal appendages ( Fig. 3G–H View FIGURE 3 ) cerci and epiproct black, simple in structure. In dorsal view cerci slender and parallel, slender at base, somewhat widening inward from two-fifths of base, inner margin somewhat curved, curving back at apex, and adorned with a slightly outward directed sharp point positioned somewhat outward from centreline. Prominent dorsal carina from about two-fifths from base extending to posterior margin along centreline. In lateral view cerci slightly curved, only marginally thicker in middle, and with apex directed posteriorly. Epiproct elongated triangular in dorsal view, half as long as cerci, with small excavation at tip, in lateral view thin, somewhat thinker at one-third from base, thinning again towards apex, slightly curved upwards and with small subapical projections.

Measurements (in mm). HW 46.1; abdomen incl. appendages 52.6.

Variation in male paratype ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ). Anteclypeus orange-yellow ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ). Postfrons somewhat darker and face yellow lacking greenish tones. Antefrons with large brownish central area. S2 laterally with small additional brown spot over auricle. Mid-dorsal line over S2 somewhat more constricted at middle. Ax in FW 22–24 and in HW 14–16, Px in FW 18–19 and in HW 15–16. Anal loop 9–10 celled, triangles 4-celled in FW, 3–4 celled in HW. Pt. covering 2–3 cells.

Measurements (in mm). HW 42.4; abdomen incl. appendages 51.2.

Description of female paratype. As holotype male, unless specified.

Head. Antefrons with brown wash on top centre-half.

Wings a little amber at base, not extending to the first Ax. Wings with somewhat smoky-brown wash. Nodal index 19–29:27–20/23–19:18–21, triangle in FW and HW 5-celled, anal loop 11–12 celled, Pt covering 2–3 cells.

Abdomen. Ill-defined pale-brownish blotch on S2 much reduced, S4 with greenish-yellow posteroventral spot, narrowly connected to yellow kidney-shaped AL mark. AL marks on S5–6 also kidney-shaped, S5–6 with small greenish-yellow posteroventral spot. S8 lacking MD spots. S9 with ill-defined brown anterolateral blotch.

Anal appendages. Cerci black and as long as S9, ovipositor brown.

Variation in female paratype ( Fig. 3C–D, F View FIGURE 3 ). Little variation, amber in wing extending as far as first Ax. Ax in FW 26 and in HW 18, Px in FW 19–21 and in HW 22. Anal loop 9–10 celled, triangles 4-celled in HW.

Measurements (in mm). HW 47.0–52.8; abdomen incl. appendages 49.6–55.0.

Differential Diagnosis. The structure of the cerci, slender in dorsal view with little inward expansion and in lateral view gently curving upward without apical downturn, in combination with the pale face and dorsal pattern of S2 are diagnostic of male Planaeschna samurai .

The two species most similar are P. tomokunii and P. viridis . Compared to P. tomokunii the cerci in lateral view are less curved and relatively longer compared to S10 and the epiproct is slenderer (compare Fig. 4F–G View FIGURE 4 with Fig. 3G View FIGURE 3 ). In P. tomokunii the dorsal pattern of S2 is different ( Fig. 4D–E View FIGURE 4 ), it has a distinct blackish area behind the auricle ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ) and the longitudinal line over the abdomen is restricted to the proximal half of S3 ( Fig. 4D–E View FIGURE 4 ). Additionally, in P. samurai the green triangle on the metepisternum is fused with the lateral stripe over the mesepimeron, whereas these are separate in P. tomokunii (compare Fig. 3B, D View FIGURE 3 with Fig. 4A–B View FIGURE 4 ).

Compared to P. viridis the cerci of P. samurai are gently curving upward in lateral view and in dorsal view, the inner expansion is less pronounced ( Fig. 3G–H View FIGURE 3 ). In P. viridis the cerci are waved in lateral view, curving downward at the apex, and in dorsal view the inner expansion is wider ( Fig. 6B–C View FIGURE 6 ). The body maculation of P. samurai and P. viridis is almost identical. The dorsal pattern of S2 is the same (compare Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 with Fig. 6D View FIGURE 6 ) and at least our specimen of P. viridis (see below) does not differ by a greener facial pattern ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ). However, the mid-dorsal line is restricted to the basal half of S 3 in that specimen of P. viridis , and the maculation is typically green, not greenish yellow, on the thorax and laterally on S1–3 ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ). The blotch behind the auricle on S2 is vague in P. samurai , but distinct in P. viridis (compare Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 with Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ). Based on the results of mitochondrial DNA analysis, it is plausible that P. samurai hybridized with P. tsuchi in the past and speciated. It should be noted that the morphological difference between P. samurai and P. viridis is small, and reassessment may be necessary if intermediate populations are found.

Female P. samurai identified by the combination of continuous mid-dorsal line over S2, which is confluent with the PD line over the posterior carina, and mid-dorsal line over S3–7, although female P. viridis remains undescribed.

Ecology. Only a few specimens of P. samurai have been collected. They were found in the same habitat and under the same conditions as P. crux , but seemingly occur at much lower densities. The earliest record is from late June and two records are from mid-October. Both locations were visited multiple times earlier in the season, so it looks likely the flight period starts a little later than that of P. crux . In Yen Bai, it was found with P. crux and at Pia Oac NP with P. crux and P. tamdaoensis Asahina, 1996 .

Distribution. Endemic to Vietnam (Yen Bai Prov. and Cao Bang Prov.).

Notes. Zhang (2019) illustrated several still unidentified Planaeschna species from China. Of these, sp. 1 and sp. 2 have similar abdominal patterns to P. samurai . The extensive pale markings on the pterothorax and legs of sp. 2 are clearly different from P. samurai , but sp. 1 has a similar pattern, including the fused green triangle on the metepisternum, and, as far as possible to ascertain from the photos, similar appendages, suggesting sp. 1 may well be the same species.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Odonata

Family

Aeshnidae

Genus

Planaeschna

Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF