Caliphaea, Hagen in Selys, 1859

Orr, Albert G. W., 2024, A review of present knowledge of larvae of the Calopterygoidea (Zygoptera) of the Oriental realm, including keys to families and known genera, Zootaxa 5497 (2), pp. 209-243 : 224

Caliphaea

The genus includes five species inhabiting mountainous regions from Nepal to north-east India, south and central China, northern Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The stout, long-legged larva has been described in detail only for Caliphaea angka Hämäläinen ( Yang et al. 2021), and was collected at 2340 m “in small sluggish montane streams, with numerous hydro-phytes”. Apart from its distinctive habitus ( Fig. 52 ), with very short ovoid caudal gill bearing a row of 5–6 tubercles along the outer ridge, with the median gill much smaller and thin and membranous ( Fig. 47 ); the prementum is distinctive, with a very narrow deep median cleft and the lateral lobes well separated apically, and the scape of the antenna is less than half its total length ( Fig. 38 ). The best-known species of the genus is C. confusa Hagen but the larva has not yet been formally described or illustrated, the purported description by Fraser (1943) having been shown to be based on a misidentification ( Orr & Butler 2024). Larva of this species have been collected in Nepal (S.G. Butler pers comm.), and its similarity to C. angka leaves no doubt as to its identity, given that it is the only species of the genus in those localities. It differs slightly in the shape of the prementum and the outer caudal gills are slightly more elongate. The species in the genus are all closely related and all larvae are expected to have similar characters. In addition, I collected in 2003 a single mature specimen of Caliphaea from Doi Inthanon, Thailand at ca 1300m which may be C. thailandica Asahina (Orr unpublished data). It differs in some respects, notably general build, from Himalayan C. confusa and C. angka but agrees with them in key characters.

Figures

FIGURES 52–56. 52. Caliphaea angka, habitus (based on Yang et al. 2021). 53. Vestalis gracilis, habitus (redrawn from Rattanachan et al. 2022). 54. Neurobasis chinensis, habitus (original drawing). 55. Matrona basilaris, habitus (drawn from Wang et al. 2017). 56. Echo uniformis, habitus (redrawn from Lieftinck 1965).

FIGURES 42–51. 42. Archineura incarnata: caudal gills; left lateral above, median below (drawn from Yang et al. 2022). 43. Echo modesta: caudal gills; left lateral above, median below, with baso-dorsal shield arrowed (original illustration). 44. Psolodesmus mandarinus, dorsal view of caudal gills, with baso-dorsal shield of median gill arrowed (redrawn from Matsuki & Lien 1978). 45. Mnais andersoni, left lateral caudal gill with upper margin of median gill visible; baso-dorsal shield of median gill arrowed (original illustration). 46. Mnais gregoryi: caudal gills; left lateral above, median below, with baso-dorsal shield arrowed (drawn from Yang et al. 2021). 47. Caliphaea angka: caudal gills; left lateral above, median below (drawn from Yang et al. 2021). 48. Matrona basilaris: caudal gills; left lateral above, median below (drawn from Wang et al. 2017). 49. Vestalaria venusta: caudal gills; left lateral above, median below (drawn from Wang et al. 2017). 50. Vestalis amoena group: caudal gills; left lateral above, median below (redrawn from Lieftinck 1965). 51. Vestalis melania: caudal gills; left lateral above, median below (redrawn from Guadalquiver et al. 2022).

FIGURES 35–41. 35. Archineura incarnata, prementum (dorsal view, drawn from Yang et al. 2022). 36. Vestalis gracilis, prementum (dorsal view) and right antenna with supplementary antennomere between pedicel and scape (a) arrowed (redrawn from Rattanachan et al. 2022). 37. Vestalaria venusta: prementum (dorsal view) and right antenna (drawn from Wang et al. 2017). 38. Caliphaea angka: prementum (dorsal view) and right antenna (drawn from Yang et al. 2021). 39. Heliocypha biseriata, frontal view of labrum showing dorsal and ventral sections and ‘moustache’ of long, heavy setae on the latter (from Orr et al. 2024). 40. Heliocypha biseriata: details of labial palp in relation to prementum (a) dorsal view—base of movable hook dashed to reveal palpal lobe beneath and open base of premental median cleft arrowed, (b) frontal view, (c) inner view (from Orr et al. 2024). 41. Heliocypha biseriata, detail of fore tarsus with pectinate setae magnified (from Orr et al. 2024).