Protosticta sholai, Joshi & Subramanian & Babu & Sawant & Kunte, 2020

Joshi, Shantanu, Subramanian, K. A., Babu, R., Sawant, Dattaprasad & Kunte, Krushnamegh, 2020, Three new species of Protosticta Selys, 1885 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae) from the Western Ghats, India, with taxonomic notes on P. mortoni Fraser, 1922 and rediscovery of P. rufostigma Kimmins, 1958, Zootaxa 4858 (2), pp. 151-185 : 169-175

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4858.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A6C6FBA5-8026-46D8-9DA6-57A8BBE0655C
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4506854
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4CA08A04-3163-4023-AA8A-364A2E88B576
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:4CA08A04-3163-4023-AA8A-364A2E88B576
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Protosticta sholai
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Protosticta sholai View in CoL spec. nov.

Subramanian & Babu

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4CA08A04-3163-4023-AA8A-364A2E88B576

( Figs. 13–17 View FIGURE 13 View FIGURE 14 View FIGURE 15 View FIGURE 16 View FIGURE 17 )

Holotype: ♂ ( ZSI-SRC I/OD/2223), Upper Manalar , Near Suruli colony, Meghamalai Wildlife Sacntuary, Theni, Tamil Nadu, India (9.5889 N, 77.341 6 E; Alt: 1,536 m), 17.ix.2016, R. Babu & K.A. Subramanian leg.

Paratypes. 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ( ZSI-SRCI /OD/2224-2226), Downstream of Iravangalar Dam , Meghamalai Wildlife Sacntuary, Theni, Tamil Nadu, India (9.6079 N, 77.299 6 E; Alt: 1,464 m), 17.ix.2016, R. Babu & K.A. Subramanian leg.

Etymology. The specific name sholai indicate the habitat of the species, i.e., montane evergreen forests of southern Western Ghats, known as Sholai (L. Tamil) or Shola (L. Malayalam).

Description of holotype ( Figs. 13 View FIGURE 13 , 14 View FIGURE 14 a–d). [Note: markings described as yellow especially for the thorax, abdomen and legs change to light yellow to dull white and black changes to dark brown post-mortem]

Head ( Fig. 13b View FIGURE 13 ). Central and lateral lobes of labium yellow at base and gradually changing into dark brown anteriorly; genae and mandibles black; dorsal half of labrum bright blue and ventrally black; anteclypeus and postclypeus bright blue, base of antennae yellow, gradually fading into brown; median and lateral ocellus black; median ocellus encircled by a light brown ring; eyes turquoise blue with a dorsal dark region and light blue ventrally; rest of the head black.

Thorax. Prothorax ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 13 d–e): Anterior lobe pale yellow; anterior half of middle lobe dark purple, posterior half brown; posterior lobes black with a bronze sheen medially bordered by small brown patches on both sides at posterior border, purple laterally; the posterior margin of prothorax is concave medially and convex laterally, expanded into two flaps; propleuron yellow. Pterothorax ( Fig. 13a,f View FIGURE 13 ): mesepisternum and metepisternum black, dorsum of mesepisternum and dorsal carina with bronze sheen, metepimeron and mesepimeron yellow; ventrally yellow with black “Y” shaped mark, stem of “Y” is directed anteriorly. Legs: coxae and trochanter yellow; femur anteriorly yellow, posteriorly black; segmental joints of femur and tibia black; tibia yellow anteriorly and black posteriorly; tarsal segments brown; claws brown.

Wings ( Fig. 13a,c View FIGURE 13 ) hyaline, Pt dark brown, occupying about 1 cell; one cell between junction of RP 1 -RP 2 and origin of IR 1 in FW and HW; Ab absent; Ax: 2 in all wings; Px: FW = 13, HW = 12.

Abdomen ( Figs. 13a View FIGURE 13 , 14a View FIGURE 14 ). Black marked with yellow. S1 with lateral yellow semicircular spot, dorsally black; S2 with basal backwardly directed narrow yellow triangular spot, rest of the segment black; S3–7 black with basal yellow ring which is contiguous with backwardly directed lateral narrow yellow triangular spot; S8 with broad yellow lateral triangle which is continuous as broad basal yellow ring; S9 with broad lateral yellow spot, ventral part of S8–9 yellow; S10 black.

Genital ligula ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Brown, broad at base, tapering and thinner at junction with second segment; third segment expanded laterally at the juncture with second segment; apical surface curved ending in two long curved filaments, which are broad medially and taper apically. Ligula vesicle brown and club shaped. Anterior hamuli small, brown, oval with downwardly directed thick golden hairs. Posterior hamuli brown, saddle-shaped, paler brown at base; expanded ventrally, knob-like at apex.

Caudal appendages ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 b–d). Black, apices dark brown, about three times longer than S10; cerci with a laterally curved basal spine at inner margin, situated closer to the base and less than 1/3 rd of total length of cerci. Cerci bifid at apex, curved inwards, outer and inner arm broad and spatulate, inner arm shorter than the outer and ends in a sharp thumb like projection; paraprocts shorter than cerci, thicker at base, apices thin, strongly curved inwards and backwards, ending with a spoon shaped dorso-ventrally flattened apex.

Measurements: abdomen + caudal appendages = 42.1, FW = 24, HW = 24.8, cerci = 2.4, paraprocts = 1.62

Variation in paratype males (ZSI-SRCI/OD/2224 & 2225). Similar to holotype in coloration of body parts. Px 12 in right and left FW; 12 and 11 in right and left HW, respectively (I/OD/2224) and 14 in right and left FW; 13 in right and left HW (I/OD/2225).

Description of female ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 ). Coloration of head, thorax and abdomen similar to male. However, the yellow markings in terminal abdominal segments are duller.

Head ( Fig. 16c View FIGURE 16 ). Labium brown; dorsal 1/4 th of labrum blue, rest dark brown; anteclypeus and postclypeus blue; rest of the face black; postfrons with a rounded brown marking medially at the ventral border; base of antennae pale yellow, brown at apices, filaments broken.

Thorax. Prothorax ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 d–e): anterior border of anterior lobe pale yellow, rest of the anterior lobe pale purple with two faint brown stripes medially; anterior lobe of prothorax with a pair of lateral downwardly directed small finger like projections at ventral border, the base of the fingers black and apices yellow ( Fig. 16d View FIGURE 16 ); central lobe of the middle lobe brown, lateral lobes dark purple; posterior lobe black medially, lateral borders purple-brown; posterior lobe winged, expanded laterally, bilobed; ventral half of propleuron pale yellow, dorsal half black. Pterothorax ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 a–b): black, marked with pale yellow as follows: broad stripe at dorsal border of metepisternum slightly tapering at posterior border, another strip across metepimeron occupying the ventral half of it, expanded at posterior border; coxae and trochanter pale yellow, trochanter with small lateral black spots on inner and outer side on mid and hind legs; femur and tibia pale yellow on anterior front, black posteriorly, covered with brown long setae on tibia; tarsus dark brown.

Wings ( Fig. 16a,i View FIGURE 16 ) hyaline, veins black; Pt dark brown, occupying 1 cell; one cell between junction of RP 1 -RP 2 and origin of IR 1 in FW and HW; Ab absent; Ax: 2 in all wings; Px: FW = 13, HW = 12.

Abdomen ( Fig. 16a,h View FIGURE 16 ). Black marked with yellow as follows: S1 with lateral yellow semicircular spot, dorsally black; S2 with basal backwardly directed narrow yellow triangular spot, rest of the segment black; S3–7 black with basal yellow ring which is contiguous with backwardly directed lateral narrow yellow triangular spot; black and yellow markings in S7–10 are duller; S8 with broad dull yellow lateral triangle which continuous as broad basal dull yellow ring; S9 with broad lateral dull yellow spot, ventral part of S8–9 dull yellow; S10 brownish black.

Caudal appendages ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 f–g). Cerci dark brown, broader at base, 0.8 times the length of S10, triangular in dorsal and lateral view, pointed; paraprocts reduced, rounded, dark brown, less than half the length of cerci; dorsal half of the valve of ovipositor light brown, ventral half brown, terebra brown, triangular, slightly longer than cerci; ovipositor brown, ending in a long brown styles reaching beyond cerci and valve.

Measurements: abdomen + caudal appendages = 41.9, FW = 30.4, HW = 30.3, cerci = 0.24.

Diagnosis. Male of this species is differentiated from all Protosticta spp. from Western Ghats by a combination of: shape of posterior margin of prothorax, distinct bright blue eyes, as well as shape of cerci and peculiar shape of paraprocts. Additionally, it can be distinguished from P. monticola which occupies similar altitudinal zone in the Western Ghats, by presence of extensive yellow markings on S8–9 (dorsum of S8–9 metalic black in P. monticola ); shape of posterior margin of prothorax and eye coloration (grayish-black above, pale bluish-green at sides and below in P. monticola ).

The female of this species is characterized by: a) presence of pair of lateral downwardly directed small finger like projections in the anterior lobe of prothorax, b) an extended posterior lobe of prothorax, posterior border with two extended lateral flaps, c) extent of yellow markings on S7–9, d) coloration of eyes, and e) black spot on trochanters of mid and hind legs.

Habitat and Ecology. Protosticta sholai was first observed in a small stream running through a shola adjoining a tea garden in Upper Manalar, Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary ( Fig. 23a View FIGURE 23 ). The male was perching six to seven feet above the ground on a tree trunk densely covered with moss and lichens ( Fig. 18c View FIGURE 18 ). When disturbed, they tend to fly higher and perch on leaf and branch tips. Female continuously wags abdomen at rest. Paratypes were collected from a similar habitat in Iravangalar within the same landscape.