Brechmorhoga praecox grenadensis ( Kirby, 1894 )

Meurgey, François, 2016, The genus Brechmorhoga Kirby, 1894, in the West Indies, with a proposed new status for Brechmorhoga archboldi (Donnelly) (Odonata; Libellulidae), Zootaxa 4079 (1), pp. 53-64 : 54-59

Brechmorhoga praecox grenadensis ( Kirby, 1894)

Figs. 1–15 .

Brechmorhoga grenadensis Kirby 1894:265 (descr. 2♂ Grenada in BMNH, examined).

Scapanea archboldi Donnelly 1970:12 (description: type 1♀, Dominica, Freshwater Lake, 16.IX.1964, Spilman leg., in USNM, USA [not examined]); Garrison & von Ellenrieder 2006:272 (assignment to the genus Brechmorhoga ); Garrison et al. 2006:228 (distribution, illustrations); Meurgey, 2008 (description of the male and larva from Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles). NEW SYNONYMY.

Material examined. Total: 17♂ 6♀, WEST INDIES: ST LUCIA: 2♂ 2♀, Dennery, Mabouya Valley, Bois Joli, 5 km northwest of the town, 13.89°N, 60.89°W, Meurgey leg., NHMN. GUADELOUPE: 5♂, Pigeon, Bouillante, Basse-Terre, 11.02.2006, Meurgey leg., NHMN; 2♂, rivière Bras David, Basse-Terre, 13.03.2002, Weber leg., NHMN; 6♂ 4♀, Guadeloupe, Basse-Terre, rivière Bras-David, 0 6.04.2004, Meurgey leg., NHMN; MARTINIQUE: 2♂, Rivière Blanche, 0 6.2005, Meurgey leg., NHMN; 1♂ 1♀, Absalon, Trace Duclos, Plateau Michel, 5.VII.2008, David & Thiebaut leg., NHMN; 1♂ 1♀, Fort-de-France, Plateau Boucher, route forestière, 14.III.2008, Meurgey leg., NHMN; 1♂, Station thermale d’Absalon, rivière Dumauzé, 14.III.2008, David & Thibaut leg., NHMN. GRENADA: 2♂, including lectotype and paralectotype (Kimmins, 1968: 286) numbers 106, 119, Smith leg., BMNH; 1♂ St Mark parish, Tufton Hall, Tufton Estate, Saumache River, 12°10’19.5”N, 61°41’ 38.1W ”, Meurgey leg, NHMN. 07.V.2009; 2♀, St Mark parish, Tufton Hall, Tufton Estate, Saumache River, 12°10’19.5”N, 61°41’ 38.1”W, 07.V.2009, Daigle leg, NHMN.

LARVAE: WEST INDIES: GRENADA: 2, St Mark parish, Tufton Hall, Tufton Estate, Saumache River, 12°10’19.5”N, 61°41’ 38.1”W, Meurgey leg, NHMN.

EXUVIAE: WEST INDIES: GUADELOUPE: Rivière Bras David, Basse-Terre, 29.iii.2004, F. Meurgey leg.; MARTINIQUE: Trois-Ilets, 17.iii.2005, F. Meurgey leg ( NHMN). GRENADA: 3, St Mark parish, Tufton Hall, Tufton Estate, Saumache River, 07.v.2009, 12°10’19.5”N, 61°41’ 38.1”W, Meurgey leg, NHMN.

Description of male: Head ( Fig. 12 ). Eyes in life blue with a reddish/blue tinge dorsally. Labrum pale, anteclypeus gray-brown, postclypeus metallic pale blue-green, dark ventrally and covered with black setae; frons erect with conical projections, glossy purple, pale ventrally, occiput brown-black on anterior half, becoming glossy purple posteriorly.

Thorax. Prothoracic pronotum obscure dark brown, covered with conspicuous dark setae. Prothorax brownblack, pale as follows: narrow stripe on mesepisternum expanded dorsally as an inverted “L”, broad stripe rounded below occupying approximately posterior half of mesepimeron, a thin narrow stripe widening and rounded ventrally on mesepisternum, broad parallel stripe rounded below ventrally on metepimeron. Sides of thorax brown, darker to black around pale stripes and covered by thick black fine hairs. Space between wings sometimes with yellowish spots becoming obscured with age ( Fig. 11 ).

Legs. Trochanters and coxae pale brown. Anterior femora entirely brown, blackish apically, tibiae and tarsi black. Proximal half of mesothoracic femora pale brown, metathoracic femora almost entirely dark brown, distal half black, tibiae and tarsi black; 12 spurs on hind femora, first 9 small and equal in size, distal 3 grouped, all teeth distinctly acute and erect.

Wings. Hyaline, sometimes tinged with amber along front margin in Fw, from base to nodus in Hw; pterostigma black.

Abdomen. Black to obscure dark brown, paler on ventral side of S1–3 and with pale spots as follows: S2 with two whitish dorsolateral spots and two small posteroventral greenish J-shaped spots divided into two smaller spots, S3 with a ventrolateral greenish stripe along lateral carina and a dorsolateral stripe often interrupted as an inverted “!”. S4–6 with small white or yellowish dorsolateral streaks basally; these streaks becoming obscured in old males. S7 with wide dorsolateral pale stripe, about 3/5 length of segment ( Fig. 14 ). S8–10 all black. Abdomen nearly cylindrical with S7–8 only slightly expanded. Genital lobe narrow, truncate and slightly pointed posteriorly; hamulus nearly straight, abruptly curved posteriorly forming an acute spine ( Fig. 13 ). Caudal appendages black. Cercus ventrally with a row of small spines, all almost equal in length.

Description of female: Head as in male, sometimes with a tinge of orange-brown on ventral side of antefrons; thorax as in male except yellow-green metepimeral stripe wider ( Fig. 15 ); wings as in male but sometimes tinged with amber at base of both Fw and Hw; abdomen with yellow stripes on the dorsal side of S–6 ( Fig. 15 ); S7 with conspicuous dorsolateral pale yellow stripe occupying 4/5 length of segment ( Fig. 15 ).

Dimensions. Males (n=4): Total length 44.0–45.1; abdomen 32.5–33.0; Fw 31.0–31.5; Hw 31.0–32.0. Females (n=2): Total length 42.0–43.5; abdomen 32.5–33.0; Fw 31.0–33.0; Hw 31.0–32.5.

Figures

FIGURES 15. Brechmorhoga praecox grenadensis: female, Grenada, Tufton Hall, habitus.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Brechmorhoga praecox grenadensis: (1) male, Guadeloupe, Sainte-Rose, Sofaïa, habitus. (2) head, frontal view. (3) (4) male, abdomen S 6 – 10 and cerci, lateral view.

FIGURES 5 – 8. Brechmorhoga praecox grenadensis: (5) male, Martinique, Absalon, Trace Duclos, habitus. (6) head, frontal view. (7) (8) male, abdomen S 6 – 10 and cerci, lateral view.

FIGURES 9 – 10. Brechmorhoga praecox grenadensis: (9) female, Martinique, Absalon, Trace Duclos, habitus. (10) female, St Lucia, Praslin Parish, Mahaut, habitus. (11) male, Grenada, Tufton Hall, Saumache River habitus. (12) head, frontal view. (13) (14) male, abdomen S 6 – 10 and cerci, lateral view. 15 female, Grenada, Tufton Hall, habitus. Brechmorhoga praecox praecox: (16) male Mexico, Veracruz, habitus. (17) head, frontal view. (18) (19) male, abdomen S 6 – 10 and cerci, lateral view. (20) female, Trinidad, Oropuche, habitus. Brechmorhoga praecox postlobata: (21) male, Mexico, Colima, Salada, habitus. (22) male, abdomen S 6 – 10 and cerci, lateral view.

FIGURES 11 – 14. Brechmorhoga praecox grenadensis: (11) male, Grenada, Tufton Hall, Saumache River habitus. (12) head, frontal view. (13) (14) male, abdomen S 6 – 10 and cerci, lateral view.