Planaeschna sp. 2

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 : 27-30

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-FFDA-FFE3-E0E7-752FFCA0FDAB
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Planaeschna sp. 2
status

Treatment

11. Planaeschna sp. 2

( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 )

Material examined. 1 ♀, Xuan Son NP, Phu Tho Prov., Vietnam, 20-X-2013, TK leg .; 1 ♀, Huu Lien NR, Lang Son Prov., Vietnam, 1-XII-2013, TK leg .

Additional observations.? 1 ♂, Huu Lien NR, Lang Son Prov., Vietnam, 11-X-2015, TK .

Notes. Only two females were obtained. One from Xuan Son NP ( Fig. 18B–C View FIGURE 18 ), and one from Huu Lien NR ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 ). At Huu Lien NR no other Planaeschna species have been found. However, a male Planaeschna was photographed hung up in the trees close to where the female was caught ( Fig. 18D View FIGURE 18 ). Like the female, it is similar to P. i. guentherpetersi in maculation, but shares the somewhat different pattern of the collected female on the abdomen. It seems reasonable to assume that this is a male of the same species. This species has similar maculation to P. i. guentherpetersi , but differs in details as follows.

The facial pattern of the female of P. i. guentherpetersi is orange ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ), shading to yellow on the upper labrum, the top corners of the postclypeus and lower corners of the antefrons, which itself shades to brown upwards, very much like the facial pattern of the male ( Fig. 16A View FIGURE 16 ), but duller. However, the facial pattern of sp. 2 has the lower half of the labrum dark brown, the anteclypeus and central part of the antefrons dark brown, the lower part of the middle of the postclypeus (below the dimples) brown, more diffusely brown above the dimples, and contrasting strikingly with the pale yellow lateral thirds of the postclypeus and sides of the antefrons ( Fig. 18A–B View FIGURE 18 ). The same pale yellow colour also adorns the upper part of the labrum. The dorsal pattern on S2 has longer and more slender MD spots ( Fig. 18C View FIGURE 18 ). Laterally the dark stripe over the yellow lower half does not extend all the way to the anterior margin, but on the other hand does extend all the way to the posterior margin, the reverse of the pattern in P. i. guentherpetersi (compare Fig. 16D View FIGURE 16 with Fig. 18A–B View FIGURE 18 ). The MD spots on S2–6 connect to the AL spots and AL spots are larger, especially on S3, but the PD spots on S6–7 are absent. In the male in the photo ( Fig. 18D View FIGURE 18 ) likewise the MD spots on S2 extend further sideways, the MD spots on S4–6 are connected to the AL marks, but PD spots are missing on S6–8. The sides of the face appear to be pale-yellow as well.

In nuclear DNA analysis ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ) this species is clearly separated from P. ishigakiana and is a sister species.

Ecology. The female from Xuan Son NP was caught hung up in a small tree in a small bog with emergent vegetation at about 380 m asl through which a shallow stream runs that emerges from karst rock. In Huu Lien NR it was also caught at a spring emerging from karst rocks hanging over a secluded stream with muddy bottom at 220 m asl. The probable male was photographed at 240 m asl. close to a stream over karst rocks under remnant forest cover. The flight period of adults seems to be autumn, with both females caught in October and the probable male seen on December 1.

Distribution. Vietnam (Phu Tho Prov. and Lang Son Prov.)