Vanuatubasis nunggoli, Saxton & Marinov & Bybee, 2022

Saxton, Natalie A., Marinov, Milen G. & Bybee, Seth M., 2022, Revision of Vanuatubasis Ober & Staniczek, 2009 (Odonata, Coenagrionidae), with description of seven new species, ZooKeys 1128, pp. 129-169 : 129

Vanuatubasis nunggoli sp. nov.

Figs 8 , 20F , 21G

Type material.

Holotype. (1 ♂ BYU) "VANUATU: Pentecost Is., | Wali, May 26-27, 2019; | -15.9310, 166.1897 | Coll: SM Bybee, GS Powell | #BYU-VU-2019".

Paratypes (2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ BPBM, 12 ♂♂ 1 ♀ BYU, 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀ NHM, 8 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ NZAC). (4 ♂♂ BYU, 2 ♂♂ NZAC) "VANUATU: Pentecost Is., | Ranmawat, May 30, 2019; | -15.8126, 168.1770 | Coll:SM Bybee,GS Powell | #BYU-VU-2019" (1 ♂ BYU, 1 ♂ NHM) "VANUATU: Pentecost Is., | Salap, May 28, 2019; | -15.9589, 168.1948 | Coll:SM Bybee,GS Powell | #BYU-VU-2019" (2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ BPBM, 6 ♂♂ 1 ♀ BYU, 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀ NHM, 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ NZAC) same label data as holotype. (1 ♂ BYU, 3 ♂♂ NZAC) "VANUATU: Pentecost Is., | Panas, May 31, 2019; | -15.9088, 168.1904 | Coll:SM Bybee,GS Powell | #BYU-VU-2019" (1 ♂ NZAC) "VANUATU: Pentecost Is., | St Joseph, May 31, 2019; | -15.8886, 168.1803 | Coll:SM Bybee,GS Powell | #BYU-VU-2019".

Allotype (1 ♀ BYU). same label data as holotype.

Description of holotype.

Head: Labium overall pale beige; labrum blue-green, with black latero-posterior edges and medially, a depressed black spot at posterior edge; anteclypeus blue-green; genae, and mandibles (expect for reddish brown tips) blue-green with darker anterolateral edges; postclypeus overall covered by a black bar that begins medially and extends to the anterior edge, not extending to the dark blue-green, anterior corners; frons black medially with blue-green lateral edges, abruptly changing to black posteriorly; scapes, and pedicels black, flagella dark brown and lightening apically; vertex and rear of head black with line of setae, a bronze shimmer, and a white pruinescence; a pair of white post-ocular spots present; three pale ocelli with small pale patch apical of the median ocellus; eyes green.

Thorax: Dorsally black with a bronze shimmer and white pruinescence; laterally blue and green; pronotum black, latero-posterior corners rounded to obtuse angles and explanate, mid-line obviously indented across the pronotum, hind lobe with raised ridge that is shorter than the width of the pronotum, is curved outward medially, and extends to a sharp point that protrudes posteriorly; mesostigmal plate black with blue-green lateral edges, interior edges raised dorsally to form protruding lobes. Pterothorax with black carina laterally, mesepisternum with black stripe reaching the dorsal carina and reaching the mesopleural suture posteriorly across ~0.5 mm, but only reaching ~ 2/3 of the mesepisternum on the anterior and medial portion; green stripe located on latter 1/3 of mesepisternum and extending past the dark brown mesopleural suture; mesepimeron overall blue with green extending down from mesepisternum; dark brown stripe extending from mesinfraepisternum to ~ 0.25 mm from the base of the wings; metepisternum overall blue with short, brown line located on metapleural suture near the base of the wings, extending ~ 1/6 the suture’s length; mesinfraepisternum dark brown; metepimeron dark brown on dorsal 1/2, and blue ventrally, with white pruinescence; coxae, trochanters, and femora dorsally dark brown and ventrally pale beige with brown spines; tibiae pale brown with smaller spines than that of the femora; tarsi beige with dark brown edges and small, dense spines; pale brown tarsal claws that darken apically to reddish tips, claws with a small tooth located on the basal 1/4 of their length.

Wings: Hyaline with dark brown venation; pterostigma pale brown and rhombus-shaped, darkest on the edges; CuP slightly proximal to halfway between antenodals in both wings; arculus just distal of second antenodal crossvein in both wings; discoidal cells unequal with FW dorsal edge being 1/2 as long as HW. Nodal index: 14/2-2/13 in FW and 12/2-2/11 in HW.

Abdomen: Overall yellowish with black dorsal stripe extending from S1-S9 and lightening to brown laterally, brown reaching ventrally at posterior edge of segments 2-5, with pale brown setae; S1 and S2 mottled blue and brown; S3 anteriorly dark blue, turning yellow posteriorly, S4-S8 yellow; S9 overall brown with blue dorsal stripe medially; S10 with blue lateral spots, terminal edge raised medially to form protrusion. cerci dark brown with pale brown setae and appearing as a curved crescent shape dorsally, medial edges touching at base and apex, terminating in darkened round lobes; paraprocts in dorsal view dark brown and darkening apically, with bumpy texture, slightly converging medially continuously that form sharp terminal hooks; in the lateral prospective the cerci are roughly triangular and tapering apically, with dorsal edge slightly uneven and ventral edge slightly expanded, terminating in small, acutely rounded lobe.

Measurements (mm): total length 42 mm, abdomen 35 mm, HW 21 mm.

Description of allotype.

Head: Labium overall pale beige; labrum pale blue with brown latero-posterior edges and a slightly indented medially brown spot at posterior edge; anteclypeus, genae, and mandibles (expect for reddish tips) pale blue; postclypeus translucent brown; frons yellow, abruptly changing to black posteriorly; scapes, and pedicels pale blue, flagella pale brown and lightening apically; vertex and rear of head black with line of setae and a bronze shimmer; three pale ocelli with small beige patch apical of the median ocellus; eyes pale green.

Thorax: Dorsally black; laterally yellow with hints of blue; pronotum black medially with yellow lateral edges, latero-posterior corners rounded to obtuse angles and weakly explanate, mid-line obviously indented across the pronotum, hind lobe with raised ridge that is shorter than the width of the pronotum, is curved outward medially, and extends to a sharp, rounded point that protrudes posteriorly; mesostigmal plate brown with yellow lateral edges, not significantly raised dorsally. Pterothorax with black carina; laterally, mesepisternum with black stripe reaching the dorsal carina and extending ~ 1/2 of the mesepisternum, reaching the mesopleural suture posteriorly across ~ 0.5 mm, but only reaching ~ 1/2 of the mesepisternum on the anterior and medial portion; pale green on ventral 1/2 of mesepisternum with hint of a brown stripe; metepisternum overall yellow with short, brown line located on metapleural suture near the base of the wings, extending ~ 1/6 the suture’s length; mesepimeron overall pale blue; dark brown line on posterior end of mesopleural suture extending ~ 1/6 the sutures length; mesinfraepisternum pale yellow with apical brown spot; metepimeron light yellow; coxae and trochanters beige, femora dorsally pale brown and ventrally pale beige with black spines; tibiae pale brown with slightly darker, and smaller, spines than that of the femora; tarsi beige with dark brown edges and small, dense spines; pale brown tarsal claws that darken apically to reddish tips, claws with a small tooth located on the basal 1/4 of their length.

Wings: Hyaline with dark brown to black venation that thickens dorsally; pterostigma pale brown and rhombus-shaped, darkest on the edges; CuP halfway between antenodals in both wings; arculus just distal of second antenodal crossvein in both wings; discoidal cells unequal with FW dorsal edge being 1/2 as long as HW. Nodal index: 15/2-2/13 in FW and 12/2-2/12 in HW.

Abdomen: Overall yellow with black dorsal stripe extending from S1-S8 and lightening towards the edges, with pale brown setae; S1 and S2 with hints of blue and green laterally; S3 apically blue and turning yellow posteriorly; S3-S7 pale yellow laterally, with dorsal stripe reaching ventral at terminal ends; S8 yellow; S9 with pale dorsal patch extending ¾ of its length; S10 pale brown with pale dorsal patch; ovipositor overall beige, with darker serrated ventral edge; stylus with rounded edges, pale brown and lightening apically; gonapophysis reddish brown with slightly serrated dorsal edge. Cerci roughly triangular, dark brown, and narrowing to a rounded apex, dorsal and ventral edge straight.

Measurements (mm): total length 38 mm, abdomen 32 mm, HW 21 mm.

Diagnosis.

Male. Vanuatubasis nunggoli can be distinguished from all other Vanuatubasis , besides V. kapularum by the presence of dark brown thoracic coloring on the metepisternum. It can be distinguished from V. kapularum by the inner posterior angle of the paraprocts forming an obtuse angle and the green-blue labrum. Female. Vanuatubasis nunggoli can be distinguished from other females in this genus, by the dorsal black area on S9 with an uneven posterior edge (this coloring on S9 is sharper than that in V. evelynae and not extending as far), a short pedicel, a brown pterostigma, and a blueish hue on the pterothorax.

Variation.

Male. The males of this species exhibit variable thoracic coloring, with some males almost black and others blue-green with only traces of black striping. This variation may be connected to populations as males from certain localities seemed to have more dark thoracic coloring than others. Measurements (mm): total length 39-42 mm, abdomen 34-37 mm, HW 21-23 mm (n = 14). Female. Measurements (mm): total length 37-40 mm, abdomen 31-33 mm, HW 21-24 mm (n = 6).

Distribution.

Pentecost, Vanuatu.

Etymology.

The specific epithet of this species is a noun in apposition, derived from the local word for "land diving," a cultural practice that originated on the island of Pentecost.

Figures

Figure 8. Vanuatubasis nunggoli Holotype (♂ BYU) A dorsal thorax B lateral terminalia C dorsal terminalia D lateral habitus V. nunggoli Allotype (♀ BYU) E dorsal thorax F lateral terminalia. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 20. Male dorso-posterior and dorsal terminalia of A V. bidens B V. evelynae C V. insularivorum D V. kapularum E V. malekulana F V. nunggoli G V. santoensis.

Figure 21. Female face and dorsal terminalia of A V. bidens B V. discontinua C V. evelynae D V. insularivorum E V. kapularum F V. malekulana G V. nunggoli H V. rhomboides I V. santoensis J V. xanthochroa.