Dythemis sterilis sterilis Hagen, 1861

Meurgey, François & Poiron, Celine, 2011, The true Dythemis multipunctata Kirby, 1894, from the West Indies and proposed new taxonomic status (Odonata: Anisoptera: Libellulidae), Zootaxa 3019, pp. 51-62 : 58-59

Dythemis sterilis sterilis Hagen, 1861

Libellula tessellata: Rambur, 1842 (nec Burmeister, 1839): 89 (in part, descr. 3, "Buenos-Aires[Cayenne]," in IRSN, not examined) ― Hagen 1855: 121, 122 (listing from Peru).

Dythemis sterilis Hagen, 1861: 317 (new name for L. tessellata Rambur nec Burmeister, 3); ― Ris, 1916: 1205 (in part, distribution); ― Hagen "1875 " [1877]: 87 Listing, distribution); ― Calvert 1895: 522 (Baja Calif., discussion of status, treated as doubtfully distinct from D. velox )― Ris "1916 " [1919]: 1205 (descr. 3,♀, correction of type locality to Cayenne based on Rambur's 2 33 syntypes of L. tessellata in IRSN): ― Geijskes, 1946: 233 (larva): ― Donnelly, 1970: 12 ( Dominica); ― Starmühlner & Therezien, 1982: 332,340,341,342 ( Martinique, Dominica); ― De Marmels, 1989a: 74–76 (description of a hybrid between D. sterilis and D. multipunctata sensu Ris from Venezuela); — De Marmels, 1990: 339 ( Venezuela); ― Boomsma 1993: 56 ( Belize): ―Tito de Morais, 1993: 62 ( Guadeloupe); ― Goyaud, 1994: 57 (checklist, notes, Guadeloupe); —Steinmann, 1997: 493 (catalog); — Hofmann, 1999: 34 (checklist, notes, Guadeloupe); ― Sibley, 1999: 21 ( Guadeloupe); —Dupont, 2000: 122 ( Martinique); — Grand, 2000: 130 (checklist, notes, Martinique); — Jacquemin, 2000: 122 (collection, Guadeloupe); — Mashaal, 2000: 125 ( Martinique); ― Needham et al., 2000:650 ( Mexico, South America, short descr., notes, keys); — Grand, 2002: 33 ( Guadeloupe); — Meurgey & Williamson, 2002: 162 ( Guadeloupe); — Pont, 2003: 162 ( Guadeloupe); — Ilbert & Menegaux, 2004: 180 ( Guadeloupe); —Novelo-Guttierez & Gonzalez-Soriano, 2004: 284 (short description of larva from Mexico); — Pont, 2004: 202 ( Guadeloupe); — Meurgey, 2005: 78 ( Martinique); — Esquivel, 2006: 220 (catalog, Central America and West Indies); — Garrison et al., 2006: 235 (list, keys, New World); — Heckman, 2006: 120,375 (keys); — Levasseur, 2006: 85 ( Martinique);― Meurgey, 2006a: 20 ( Dominica);― Meurgey, 2006b: 13 ( Dominica);― Meurgey, 2006c: 17 (checklist);― Meurgey, 2007b: 81 (checklist); — Meurgey, 2007d: 11 (checklist);― Meurgey et al., 2008; 15 ( Martinique);―von Ellenrieder & Muzon, 2008: 62 ( Argentina); ―Meurgey, 2009: 14 ( Grenada);― Altamiranda Saavedra, 2009: 5074 ( Colombia);― Daltry 2009: 72 ( Saint Lucia);― Meurgey & Daigle, 2009: 13 ( Grenada);― Palacino-Rodriguez, 2009: 39 ( Colombia).

Dythemis broadwayi Kirby, 1894b: 227 (descr. 3, Trinidad, lectotype in BMNH [not examined]); ― Calvert, 1898: 310 (synonymy with sterilis ); ―Kirby, 1899: 365 (short description, taxonomic notes, Panama) ―Kimmins, 1968: 283 (lectotype 3 designated, BMNH

Dythemis multipunctata var? Kirby, 1894a: 266 (short description: type: 23 from Grenada in BMNH, not examined), Lesser Antilles, Smith leg. In NHML, not examined)

Dythemis velox var. sterilis: Calvert, 1898: 310 (short description, notes); ―Calvert, 1947: 608 ( Mexico)

Dythemis velox: Calvert, 1906: 272

Dythemis velox: Ris, 1913: 841 (incorrect synonymy D. velox )

Specimens examined. Total 46336Ƥ. GUADELOUPE: 334Ƥ, Basse-Terre, Saint-Claude, Grand Etang, 12.III.2003, Meurgey leg. NHMN; 231Ƥ, Basse-Terre, Petit-Bourg, rivière Corossol, 5.VI.2005, Meurgey leg. NHMN; DOMINICA: 23, stream at "Wotten Waven", 1300 ft, 21.11.2006, Weber leg. NHMN; 13, Roseau river at "Goodwill reservoir", 150 ft, 21.11.2006, Weber leg. NHMN; 232Ƥ, stream at "Springfield Estate", 1200 ft, 23.11.2006, Weber leg. NHMN; 231Ƥ, stream at "Springfield Estate", 1200 ft, 23.11.2006, Weber leg. NHMN; 1Ƥ, Woodfort Hill "Pan lake", 200 ft, 28.11.2006, Weber leg. NHMN; 13, Pagua river at "Charles Warner ", 450 ft, 29.11.2006, Weber leg. NHMN; 132Ƥ, stream at "L'Arouma popotte", Emerald pool, 1300 ft, 04.12.2006, Weber leg. NHMN. MARTINIQUE: 13, Sainte-Anne, Fond Moustiques, W 060°52'38,4'' N 14°25'09,5'' 5, 08.III.05 Meurgey leg. NHMN; 232Ƥ, Sainte-Anne, Piton crève-coeur, W 060°51'08.6'' N 14°27'08.8'' 63, 08.III.05, Meurgey leg. NHMN; 132Ƥ, Gros Morne, Route forestière de la Palourde, Ravine Ecrevisse, W 061°03'40.1'' N 14°43'14.7'' 37, 21.III.05, Meurgey leg. NHMN; 33 4Ƥ, Gros Morne, Rivière Lézarde, Bois Goudou, W 061°01'57,7'' N 14°42'30,4'' 17, 22.III.05, Meurgey leg. NHMN; 1Ƥ, Sainte-Anne, Mondésir, Pointe Sable, W 060°51'06,2'' N 14°27'00,8'' 15, 24.III.05, Meurgey leg NHMN. ST. LUCIA: 23, Gros Piton trailhead, L’ivrogne river, 13 48.489N 61 03.558W, 700 feet Sibley leg., NHMN. GRENADA: 23, St. George Parish, Beauséjour Estate, Beauséjour River, 05.V.2009, Meurgey leg NHMN; 33, St. John Parish, Palmiste Estate, Palmiste Lake, N 12°08’ 18.6 W 61° 44’ 00,7’’, 05.V.2009, Meurgey leg NHMN; 334Ƥ, St. John Parish, Concord Falls, 05.V.2009, Meurgey leg NHMN; 13, St. David Parish, Lasagesse Estate, unnamed river near Marquis Point, N 12° 01’ 27.6’’ W 61° 40’18.4’’, 06.V.2009, Meurgey leg NHMN; 10+Ƥ Tufton Hall, Saumache River, N 12° 10’ 52,2’’ W 61° 41’ 38.1’’, 07.V.2009, Meurgey leg NHMN; 23, St. Patrick Parish, pond near Tricolar, 1200 ft, N 12° 10’ 52.2’’ W 61° 39’ 48.5’’, 07.V.2009, Meurgey leg NHMN; 13, St. George Parish, River at Calivigny Estate, N 12° 00’ 58.4’’ W 61° 43’ 09.5’’, 10.V.2009, Meurgey leg. NHMN. TOBAGO: 13, St. John Parish, pool at beach, Hermitage River, 5 km S Charlotteville, 11.VI.1993, 11°18’53”N 60°34’5’’W, Flint & Adams leg, RWG. MEXICO: 131Ƥ, Veracruz, 9 miles south of Tecolutla, near Mex. Hwy 180, 30.VII.1968, 20 °23’17’’N 96°57’31’’W, Garrison leg., RWG; 131Ƥ, Veracruz, Rio Otapa, 8 km S of La Tinaja, 13.VIII.1976, 18°45’0”N 96°26’24”W, Garrison leg. RWG. PANAMA: 13, Cerro Azul, Garrison leg., 2.VIII.1979, 9°10’N 79°25’W, Garrison leg., RWG. TRINIDAD: 131Ƥ, St. George, Arima River at Churchill - Roosevelt Hwy, 2; 25 mi SSE of Arima, 10°35’17”N 61°14’48”W, Garrison leg., RWG. COLOMBIA: 13, Meta dept., Cano Seco, Restrepo, 11.II.1983, 4°15’44”N 73°33’57”W, Flint leg., RWG. PERU: 13, Dpto, Tumbes, Prov. Tumbes, Rio Tumbes and neighboring water bodies nr. Boca Tumbes irrigation project, 9.VIII.1986, 3°40’S, 80°27’W, Louton leg., RWG.

Diagnosis. See remarks under D. s. multipunctata .

Remarks. De Marmels (1989) described a hybrid between Dythemis sterilis and Dythemis multipunctata sensu Ris 1919 from Venezuela which shows a mixture of characters of both species. De Marmels follows Ris (1919) in considering hybridization as possible due to absence of structural differences between the two species. We believe this specimen could be Dythemis sterilis sterilis showing some chromatic variation atypical for mainland populations of this species.

Dimensions. Males (n = 46): Total length 38.0–41.0, abdomen 26.0–29.0, Fw 29.0–32.0, Hw 29.0–31.0. Females (n = 36): Total length 37.0–40.0, abdomen 26.0–30.0, Fw 30.0–31.0, Hw 29.0–31.0.

Distribution. Widespread: Mexico, Central America, South America and Lesser Antilles ( Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, Grenada, and Tobago).

Ecology. Dythemis sterilis sterilis frequents typically lotic habitats such as fast-flowing montane rivers, generally with rocky beds, but tenerals can be found near slow-flowing waters at lower elevation. Larvae inhabit the bottom of ponds and slow streams between 200 and approximately 800 meters in the Lesser Antilles. They are active at night but spend the day sheltered under stones, dead leaves or other bottom debris. At breeding sites, males generally perch at the tip of plant stems or on top of bushes. The female oviposits alone, by tapping masses of floating plants.