Lestes henshawi Calvert, 1907

Mendoza-Penagos, Cristian Camilo, Pérez-Gutiérrez, León A. & Muzón, Javier, 2024, A revision of Lestidae Calvert, 1901 (Odonata: Zygoptera) from Colombia, with the first record of Lestes dichrostigma Calvert, 1909, Zootaxa 5415 (2), pp. 201-240 : 231-232

Lestes henshawi Calvert, 1907

Remarks: This species has an intricate taxonomic history. It was described by Calvert (1907), based on two males from separate localities: San Juan, Costa Rica (type locality) and Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia. Ris (1918) reported a second record in Colombia from Pandi, Cundinamarca. Navás (1934) emphasized the similarity in cerci morphology between his new species L. apollinaris and L. henshawi . Kennedy (1942) proposed L. apollinaris as a synonym of L. henshawi , extending its distribution to Ecuador, and provided a comprehensive redescription of the male and the first description of the female. Rácenis (1958) and later, De Marmels (1988), extended its distribution into the northeastern Andes from Venezuela.

Donnelly (1996), by comparison of material from distinct localities along their known distribution, revised the status of both species in detail. Finding differences in coloration patterns, as well as in morphology of cerci and male posterior lobe of prothorax, he concluded that both are valid species. Therefore, the distribution of L. henshawi is now restricted to Costa Rica, while L. apollinaris is found throughout the Andes, from northern Peru to Venezuela.

In Colombia, Urrutia (2005) reported L. henshawi for Valle del Cauca Department. Pérez-Gutiérrez & Palacino-Rodriguez (2011), based on this record, included it in the checklist of Odonata from Colombia. During the visit to MUSENUV, CCMP examined the material identified as L. henshawi and reidentified it as L. apollinaris . Based on this result, we exclude this species from Colombia.