Amphipteryx nataliae González-Soriano, 2010

González-Soriano, Enrique, 2010, A synopsis of the genus Amphipteryx Selys 1853 (Odonata: Amphipterygidae), Zootaxa 2531 (1), pp. 15-28 : 20-23

Amphipteryx nataliae González-Soriano n. sp.

Figs. 3–4, 9–11 , 15, 22–23, 25, 35–36, 39, 42

Amphipteryx agrioides: Calvert 1901: 42–43 (description of ♂, ♀; Figs.) — González-Soriano 1991: 465 (illustration of ♂ from El Progreso, Finca La Cajeta, near Estación La Virgen)

Etymology. Named nataliae (noun in the genitive case), after my friend, Dr. Natalia von Ellenrieder, Argentine Odonatologist, diligent and outstanding worker on the biosystematics and biology of Neotropical Odonata and aquatic insects.

Type material. Total: 27 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀. Holotype ♂, Guatemala, Baja Verapaz Dept., Sabo (= Sabob , coffee plantation about 6 km E of Purulhá), 15°15'N, 90°9'W, 880 m, 6, 7 x 1879; 29 iv–2 v 1880, leg. G.C. Champion, ( BMNH) . Paratypes: same data as holotype, 1 ♂; San Gerónimo (= Jerónimo, about 10 km southeast of Salamá ), 15°3'N, 90°12'W, 1220 m, 10 viii–9 ix, 13 ix; 8–12 xi; 9–28 xii 1879; 4–6, 20–25 I; 26 iii–13 iv; 28 vi–26 vii 1880 , leg. G.C. Champion, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Purula (= Purulhá, about 19 km northeast of Salamá ), 15°16'N, 90°13'W, 1370 m, 2–5, 16 x; 13, 14 xi 1879; 14–iv; 25–27 vi 1880, 1 ♀ (all BMNH) ; Route 17, km 123.7, Los Encuentros , 15°3'N, 90°12'W, 1300 m, 25–26 vi 1966, leg. O.S. Flint, Jr., & M.A. Ortiz B., 2 ♂♂ ( USNM) ; Los Ranchitos waterfall, 15°12'52"N, 90°13'26"W, 1756 m, 15 vi 2007 ( RWG) ; El Progreso Dept., Finca La Cajeta nr. Est. La Virgen , 14°47'N, 90°44'W, 700 m, 20 viii 1965, leg. T.W. Donnelly, 1 ♂ ( RWG) ; same data but 12, 20 viii 1965, O.S. Flint, Jr., M.A. Ortiz B., 17 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ ( DRP, RWG, TWD, USNM) ; same data but 22 viii 1970, 1♂, 1♀, T.W. Donnelly ( TWD) , same data but 10 viii 1971, T. W. Donnelly ( CNIN, TWD) .

Description. Holotype dimensions: Hw 35; abdomen 39; total length 49. Head of male holotype with basal part of labium pale yellow, labial palp and apex of mentum black; labrum and gena pale green, mandible black except for well defined pale green spot at base; large spot confluent with the genae on either side of antefrons pale green. Clypeus and midline of antefrons black, and most of the dorsal and posterior surfaces of the head black, lateral area of antefrons pale green; anterior portion of epicranium to epicranial furrow shiny black except for a short yellow line extending antero-laterally from each lateral ocellus; posterior portion of epicranium including postocular lobes, occipital bar, and rear of head matte black.

Prothorax black except for pale yellow anterior lobe and large lateral spot on either side of median lobe and below ventral margin of propleural suture; hind lobe ( Fig. 3 ) with paired dorsal, upright, lamellate processes, each about a millimeter long which, in lateral view ( Fig. 10 ) are digitiform and slightly concave throughout; distance between these lobes about a great as height of each lobe, lateral margin of hind lobe continuous with digitiform lobe but strongly arcuate and appressed anteriorly and overlying part of middle lobe. Synthorax yellow green with a broad mid-dorsal black stripe confluent with abbreviated broad black antehumeral stripe at upper half, its ventral portion acuminate, and not reaching mesinfraepisternum; this last with anterior half black, posterior half pale yellow green; side of thorax yellow green with three narrow lateral stripes; one on middle of mesepimeron with its ventral portion expanding to mesinfraepisternum, its upper end along margin of antealar crest and meeting second (interpleural) stripe at upper posterior margin of metepimeron and extending antero-ventrally to metastigma; third thoracic stripe extending full length of posterior margin of metepimeron; venter of thorax pale. Coxae pale yellow washed with darker brown ventrally; legs blackish with bases and the inner, surfaces of the femora yellowish; armature and claws black. Wings (Fig. 15) hyaline; Ax Fw 7 (left):9 (right); Hw 7:7; Px Fw 35:37; Hw 28:29.

Abdomen black with following parts yellow: a narrow mid-dorsal line on S2–5, dorso-lateral spot on S1, a narrow dorso-lateral line on S2, a small latero-basal spot on S3, dorsum of S8–10 pale blue, a thin mid-dorsal black line on S10, its postero-dorsal margin with a narrow median notch half as long as segment. Genital ligula ( Figs. 22–23 ) similar to that for A. agrioides ( Figs. 18–21 ) but with semihyaline tip of ventral lobe in ecto-lateral view ( Fig. 22 ) more elongate than in A. agrioides ( Fig. 19 ). Cercus black, slightly longer than S10, robust, spinulose dorso-externally, in dorsal view fusiform with apex rounded and armed with a small internal anteapical scalariform tooth ( Fig. 39 ), medial surface anterior to tooth rugosely concave ( Figs. 25 , 35 ); in lateral view cercus linear, slightly tapering from base to apex ( Fig. 29 ). Paraproct subequal to cercus, its tip in lateral view slightly directed dorsally, base in dorsal view ( Fig. 35–36 ) inflated and externally with a small tubercle, apex acute and armed externally in dorsal view ( Figs. 35, 36 ) with small, external, anteapical tooth.

Variation in paratypes. Males differ in extent of black on body and in shape of pronotal lobes. Postoccipital bar may be yellow, narrow mesepimeral stripe in some is complete and connects with black ventrally on mesinfraepisternum, interpleural stripe may be broken into elongate spots and third thoracic stripe may be reduced. Normally black pronotal lobes are pale in some specimens, their height and morphology is also variable. In some, the external tip of the lobe possesses a convex circular bulge ( Figs. 4, 11 ), and a few males have these lobes touching at midline or nearly so ( Fig. 4 ). Female similar to male but black markings on head, pro- and especially on synthorax reduced. Mid-dorsal black stripe narrower, occupying less than 0.25 of each mesepisternum, and its upper end connecting to small abbreviated humeral stripe which extends less than half length of mesepisternum. S1–6 each with pale longitudinal lateral stripe occupying most of each segment. Pronotal lobes pale, small and less pronounced ( Fig. 9 ) compared to male.S9–and ovipositor as for A. agrioides ( Fig. 40 ) although dorsal blue of S9 may cover entire dorsum.

Dimensions. Males (n = 16, including holotype; means in parentheses): Hw 33.0–38.0 (35.2); abdomen 34.5.–41.5 (39.1); total length 44.8–54.0 (50.3). Females (n = 4): Hw 34.0–37.0 (35.8); abdomen 35.5–36.5 (36.0); total length 46.0–47.2 (46.7).

Distribution. Guatemala ( Fig. 42 ).

Diagnosis. The bilobate pronota in males ( Figs. 3–4 ) and females ( Fig. 9 ) separate this species from both sexes of A. agrioides as given in the keys. Male is separable from A. chiapensis by the longer pronotal lobes whose height is as long or longer than the distance between their apices; A. chiapensis has a shorter pair of lobes and the distance between them is greater than the height of each lobe. The long paraproct with anteapical tooth ( Figs. 29 , 35, 36 ) easily distinguishes this species from either A. chiapensis ( Fig. 30 , 37 ) or A. meridionalis ( Figs. 31 , 38 ). These latter two species have a shorter paraproct and their tips are quadrate and lack an external anteapical tooth.

Remarks. The holotype ♂ ( Figs. 3, 10 , 15, 22, 23, 25, 29, 35, 36) is illustrated as A. agrioides by Calvert (1901) and carries a partially printed and holograph label as follows: Amphipteryx ♂ / agrioides Selys / original of ff 28–30/ pl iii Neur. B. C. A. [holograph]/P. P. Calvert det. [printed] 1900 [holograph]. The female I illustrate here ( Fig. 9 ) is the same one illustrated by Calvert (1901) and carries a similar label as follows: Amphipteryx ♀ / agrioides Selys / original of ff 23 pl / iii Neur. B. C. A. [holograph]/P. P. Calvert det. [printed] 1900 [holograph]. The other female (San Gerónimo) is missing S1, S2, and anterior part of S3 which was apparently not noticed by Calvert (1901) since he recorded an abdominal length of 31.5.

Figures

FIGURES 1–13. 1–9. hind lobe of prothorax, antero-lateral view; 10–12: same, lateral view; 13: same dorsal view.

FIGURES 18–23. male accessory genitalia.

FIGURES 32–40. 32–38. male caudal appendages, dorsal view; 39: tip of cercus, medio-ventral view; 40: female S9– 10, lateral view.

FIGURES 24–27. male caudal appendages, dorso-lateral view.

FIGURES 28–31. Male caudal appendages, lateral view.

FIGURES 41–42. distribution of Amphipteryx spp.