Austrolestes aleison* Watson and Moulds sp. n, 1979

J. A. L. Watson & M. S. Moulds, 1979, New Species of Australian Lestidae (Odonata), Australian Journal of Entomology 18, pp. 143-155 : 144-147

Austrolestes aleison* Watson and Moulds sp. n . (Figs 5, 6, 12, 19-21)

*, a goblet, referring to the goblet-shaped mark on abdominal segment 2 o f the male.

Lestes psyche Selys ; Tillyard, 1908: 738.

Lestes psyche (Hagen) ; Ris, 1910: 423,427 (partim).

Austrolestes psyche Selys /Hagen et Selys; Tillyard, 1913: 425, 473 (partim).

Austrolestes psyche (Hagen) ; Watson, 1958: 143.

Austrolestes psyche (Selys) ; Fraser, 1960: 9, 24 (partim).

Lestes (Austrolestes) psyche (Selys) ; Lieftinck, 1960: 139 (partim).

Austrolestes psyche (Hagen) ; Watson, 1962: 12, 18, Figs 13, 17, 80, 91, 114.

Austrolestes sp. “a ”; Watson, 1974: 142.

Types.— Holotype ♂, allotype ♀: S.W. Australia: “ Myalup Swamp ” (= Lake Josephine), W o f Harvey , 29.xii. 1955, J. A. L. Watson ( ANIC Type No. 9864) (in ANIC). Paratypes: Western Australia: one ♀, Bindoon, 18.iv.1954, E. P. Hodgkin ; one ♂, Gnangara , 7.x. 1954, E. P. Hodgkin ; one ♂, Abbett Park Swamp , Scarborough, i.1957, J. A. L. Watson ; one ♂, Perth , i.1907, R. J. Tillyard ; one ♀, Welshpool , 9.x. 1957, J. A. L. Watson ; three ♀♀, Lesmurdie , clay pit, 2. ix.1957, J. A. L. Watson ; one ♂, Karragullen , 12. xii.1976, J. A. L. W atson ; one Kelmscott ♂, 15.ix.1957, J. A. L. W atson ; one ♂, one ♀, Mandurah road 28 miles (45 km) S o f Fremantle, 13. viii. 1957, J. A. L. W atson ; one ♂, 38 miles (61 km) E of Harvey , 16.xi. 1957, J. A. L. Watson ; six ♂♂, two ♀♀, “ Myalup Swamp ” (= Lake Josephine), W o f Harvey , 28-29.xii. 1955, J. A. L. Watson ; one ♂, same locality, 15. xi.1958, J. A. L. Watson ; two ♂♂, Jacky Jacky Spring, Dalyup River , 3.iv. l958, J. A. L. Watson ; one ♂, Shark Lake, 8 miles (13 k m)N of Esperance , 2.iv.l958, J. A. L. Watson ; four ♂♂, one ♀, Margaret River , i. 1907, R. J. Tillyard ; five ♂♂, three ♀♀, M oingup Pool, Stirling Range , 27.ii.1956, J. A. L. Watson ; one ♂, Cheyne Beach Swamp , 14.xii.1959, D. H. Edward .

Male

Colour pattern closely similar to that of Austrolestes psyche , light blue and black in mature male, yellowish brown and black in tenerals.

Head.—Labium pale yellow; labrum light blue, variably edged black; anteclypeus bright blue; postclypeus, frons, vertex, occiput and antennae black with metallic green sheen, pale spot below each lateral ocellus; back of head black; genae light blue; mandibles bluish.

Thorax (cf. Fig. 1).—Pronotum black, with metallic green sheen; median lobe sometimes marked pale blue on lower margin, above pleura; proepimeron with pale yellow lower border.

Synthorax black in front, with metallic greenish sheen; bright blue antehumeral stripe extending upwards from lower margin o f mesanepisternum approximately three-quarters length of upper pleural suture, not crossing it; mesepimeron and much o f mesokatepisternum black; m etapleura substantially light blue, yellowish behind and below, with narrow black stripe along metapleural suture and anterior katepisternum, black subalar ridge, and small blackish spot on each side o f yellowish poststernum; sterna pale yellowish.

Procoxa and trochanter yellow; meso- and metacoxa yellowish, marked blackish in front; meso- and metatrochanter, all femora and tibiae mainly yellowish on upper surfaces, black below; tarsi and claws black.

Wings ( Watson 1962, Fig. 80).—Average length of hind wing 15.80 mm (range 14.9-17.4 mm, N = 10); hyaline, veins black; pterostigma dark brown, costal length o f fore wing pterostigma averaging 1.236 mm (range 1.14-1.34 mm), breadth averaging 0.352 mm (range 0.30-0.38 mm) (N = 10).

Abdomen (Figs 5,12).—Tergites black with metallic bluish or greenish sheen, m arked light blue; tergite 1 blue at side, the anterior margin dark brown, extended into brown to blackish spot behind acrotergite; intersegmental membrane 1-2 light blue; tergite 2 extensively blue at sides, the blue m arks approaching midline near centre o f segment, forming a black, goblet-shaped m ark (Fig. 12); tergites 3-6 with basal blue mark occupying a seventh to a tenth o f length o f segment, often divided by narrow black middorsal line, expanded along lower margin, tending to yellowish, reaching or almost reaching end o ftergite; tergite 7 with narrow blue basal ring, often narrowly divided in midline, narrowly expanded below into yellowish stripe along ventral carina; intersegmental membrane 7-8 marked with blue; tergites 8-10 without blue markings, tergite 8 narrowly yellowish along anterior part o f ventral carina, the intersegmental membranes blue; sternites and ventral part o f segment 10 dull yellowish brown, darkest on segment 9.

Anal appendages (Figs 19-21).—Superior appendages blackish, average length 1.118 mm (range 1.07­ 1.16 mm, N = 10); subapical spine sharp, its anterior margin slightly concave, continuing basal curvature of appendage; ventrobasal knob close to base of appendage, 0.76-0.81 x appendage length from tip, 0.42-0.49 x appendage length from point of subapical spine; inferior appendages pale brownish green, variably darkened laterally, their apices slightly concave.

Female

Size marginally greater than male; length of hind wing averaging 16.54 mm (range 15.1 -18.0 mm), fore wing pterostigma averaging 1.394 mm (range 1.24-1.66 mm) x 0.384 mm (range 0.36-0.42 mm) (N = 10), but abdomen shorter than in male (Fig. 6).

Colour pattern o f head and thorax as in male. Abdomen with less extensive, duller blue markings, the metallic sheen duller, greener (Fig. 6); tergite 2 substantially black above, with restricted lateral blue mark; basal blue mark on tergite 3 occupying approximately a ninth of length of segment; marks on tergites 4-7 much as in male; intersegmental membranes 1-2, 7-10 dull grey.

Distribution and habitat

The distribution and habitat of A. aleison were summarised by Watson (1962), under A. psyche .