Megapodagrion megalopus, Selys, 1862

DeMarmels, Jurg, 1992, Dragonflies (Odonata) From The Sierras Of Tapirapeco And Unturan, In The Extreme South Of Venezuela, Acta Biologica Venezuelica 14 (1), pp. 57-78 : 60

Megapodagrion megalopus (SELYS, 1862)

Figures 11-12

Material. 7♂, 1 ♀, Base Camp .

Remarks. All specimens were taken in the forest, far from water, flying close to the ground or sitting on sticks or stemlets of low growing plants. The larval habitat is unknown. but might not be lotic.

Megapodagrion Selys sensu stricto is monoty pic. Those species included in Allopodagrion Forster , currentlv considered a subgenus of the former, differ in many important features from M. megalopus . Therefore I think that full generic rank for Allopodagrion , as originally assigned to by Forster (1910), is clearly justified. The strongest argument for doing so is given by penis morphology: The penis of Megapodagrion is lestine (Fig. 11-12), while that of Allopodagrion is typically megapodagrionine ( Figs. 13-14 ) with two conspicuos cornua as have, for example, Dimeragrion Calvert, Heteragrion Selys , Oxystigma Williamson, Philogenia Selys and Sciotropis Racenis. Petiolation of wings ceases far distad from cux in Megapodagrion , but very close to, or even proximally of cux in Allopodagrion . Megapodgrion has two supplementary sectors between IR2 and R3 and two more between R3 and IR3 whiIe Ailopodagrion has only one in each space. The fore wings are shorter than the hind wings in Megapodagrion but equal or longer in Allopodagrion . Adult Megapodagrion are mottled with brown, the two apical abdominal segments are in thtl male densely covered with white pruinescence Adult Allopodagrion are black with blue patches on the mesepisterna, which might be covered by blue pruinescence, tip of abdomen has no pruinescence. The larval habitat of Megapodagrion is unknown, but adults are found in lowland rain forest away from running water flying close to the ground. All species of Allopodagrion are instead breeding in small mountain creeks in partly open or closed forest and do not abandon the water courses. It seems, therefore, that besides of the long legs, Allopodagrion does not share more characters with Megapodagrion than with Philogenia or with any other of the compared genera

Figures

Plate II: Figure 7. Chalcopteryx scintillans, female ultimate instar exuviae, labium, ventral view. Figures 8-10. Dimeragrion unturanense sp.n. (8) holotype male, abdominal segment 10 with anal appendages, left lateral view; (9) same, dorsal view; (10) female, paratype, tip of abdomen, left lateral view. Figure3 11-12. Megapodagrion megalopus, male. (11) penis, ri.ght lateral view; (12) same, ventral view. Figures 13-14. Allopodagrion oscillans (Venezuela, Tachira, Betania). male. (13) penis, right lateral view; (14) same, ventral view.