Argia schneideri Garrison & von Ellenrieder

Garrison, Rosser W. & Ellenrieder, Natalia Von, 2017, New species of the damselfly genus Argia from Mexico, Central America and Ecuador with an emphasis on Costa Rica (Insecta: Odonata: Coenagrionidae), Zootaxa 4235 (1), pp. 1-93 : 25-27

Argia schneideri Garrison & von Ellenrieder , n. sp.

Figs. 25 (head, thorax, S1– 4 ♂); 50 (head, thorax, S1– 3 ♀); 74 (S7– 10 ♂), 99 (S7– 10 ♀); 120 (mesostigmal plates ♀); 139 (genital ligula); 159 (appendages ♂); 169 (map); Table 4 (measurements).

Etymology. Named schneideri (Latinized name) in honor of our friend and colleague Wolfgang Schneider, in recognition of his valuable contributions to the study of Odonata and his active part in establishing the International Dragonfly Fund, including personal donations, which have helped further our knowledge of Odonata worldwide.

Specimens examined. 35 ♂, 5 ♀. Types. Holotype ♂: ECUADOR, Napo Prov., Las Palmas, on Río Anzu in Río Napo watershed, 11 xii 1936, W. Clark-Macintyre leg. [ UMMZ] . Paratypes: ECUADOR, Napo Prov.: 3 ♂, upper E branch of Ishpinga-yacu {0°59' S, 77°50' W, 500 m}, 18 ix 1942, W. Clarke-McIntyre leg. [ UMMZ] ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Cushillu-Yacu, Río Napo watershed, El Partidero {1°1' S, 77°50' W, 700 m}, 27 vii 1935, W. Clarke- Macintyre leg. [ CSCA] ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Las Palmas, on Río Anzu in Río Napo watershed {1°4' S, 77°48' W, 900 m}, 11 xii 1936, W. Clark-Macintyre leg. [ UMMZ] ; 1 ♂, Headwaters of Río Arajuno , Napo watershed, stream # 3 {1°5' S, 77°32' W, 1,000 m}, 27 iv 1941, W. Clarke-Macintyre leg. [ UMMZ] ; 4 ♂, 1 ♀, same data but stream # 4, 26 iv 1941 [ UMMZ] ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Napo {1°12' S, 77°50' W, 700 m}, Staundinger vendor [ UMMZ] ; 4 ♂, same data but v 1940 [ UMMZ] ; 1 ♂, same data but 24 xii 1935, W. Clark-Macintyre leg. [RWG] ; 1 ♂, same data but [ CSCA] ; 1 ♂, Concepción-Río Napo {1°40' S, 77°25' W, 400 m}, xii 1939, W. Clarke-MacIntyre leg. [ UMMZ] ; 3 ♂, same data but 28–29 xii 1939 [ UMMZ] ; 1 ♂, same data but Río Pacai-Yacu , 29 xii 1939, W. Clarke-MacIntyre leg. [ UMMZ] ; Pastaza Prov.: 1 ♂, El Partidero, indian village on E bank of Río Anzu, junction of trails from Mera and Puyo northward to Napo {1°22' S, 78°0' W, 1,000 m}, 29 ix 1935, W. Clarke-Macintyre leg. [ UMMZ] ; 1 ♂, same data but 12 xi 1935 [ UMMZ] ; 1 ♂, same data but 27 vii 1935, W. Clarke-Macintyre leg. [ CSCA] ; 2 ♂, same data but [ UMMZ] ; 1 ♂, same data but 27 v 1935 [RWG] ; 1 ♂, Río Pastaza watershed {1°38' S, 77°50' W, 900 m}, 28 xi 1936, W. Clarke-MacIntyre leg. [ UMMZ] ; Tungurahua Prov.: 1 ♂, Guamo Yacu (Agoyan), Río Pastaza watershed {1°24' S, 78°22' W, 1,700 m}, 9 xi 1935, W. Clarke-Macintyre leg. [ UMMZ] ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same data but [RWG] ; Morona Santiago Prov.: 1 ♂, Mangosisa, Río Upano {2°31' S, 77°53' W, 708 m}, L. Gomez vendor [ UMMZ] .

A medium-sized largely dark species with strongly forcipate male appendages ( Fig. 159 ).

Description of male holotype. Head: labrum pale rimmed with narrow line of black apically and basally, anteclypeus dark brown, base of mandibles, genae, postclypeus pale (purple), remainder of head black except for postocular spots and small pale spot anterolateral to lateral ocellus (as in Fig. 25 ); antennae black, rear of head black except for pale narrow margin bordering eye margin.

Prothorax black with following areas pale: obscure pale rim on anterior lobe, small dorsolateral spot on middle lobe, lateral 0.30 of posterior margin of propleuron. Pale areas of pterothorax purple, with broad black middorsal stripe about four times as wide as pale antehumeral stripe, the latter slightly narrowing dorsally; broad parallel black humeral stripe extending from base of mesinfraepisternum and connecting below antealar crest with middorsal stripe above and with dorsal portion of obsolete interpleural suture; metapleural stripe narrow; pale colors on side of thorax purple (as in Fig. 25 ). Wings hyaline with venation black; pterostigma dark brown, surmounting 1.5 cells in right Fw, 2 cells in left Fw; postnodals Fw; 2 cells in left Hw, 1.5 cells in right Hw; postnodals Fw 17/18, Hw 16/15; postquadrangular cells Fw 4/4, Hw 4/3; RP2 at Fw 8.5/8.5, Hw 7/7. Coxae and trochanters pale except for black on ventral and anterior portions of coxae and dorsum of trochanters; femora, tibiae, tarsi and armature black.

Abdomen (as in Figs. 25 , 74 ) mostly black; S1 with a black basal ring, remainder purple; S2 black with a pale (purple) dorsal campanulate spot occupying basal 0.80 of segment, abruptly narrowing to a thin line almost extending to black apical annulus, laterally black with a pale lateral stripe; S3 black except for narrow basal dorsal inverted triangular spot at basal 0.10; S4–5 similar to S3 but with only a small obscure pale dorsal spot at basal 0.05; S5–7 black; S8 with a dorsolateral pale (purple) spot interrupted basally by a narrow ring of black and posteriorly by black lateral stripe extending dorsally at apical 0.10; S9 pale dorsally, black laterally; S10 black with a pair of purple spots dorsally interrupted by narrow middorsal black stripe; torus pale, appendages black.

Genital ligula ( Fig. 139 ) with a large elongate microspinulate patch on ental surface proximal to flexure on sclerotized area ( Fig. 139 d); distal segment lacking lateral sclerotized lobes and terminating in a single long curved flagellum.

Torus small, transversely oval, swollen, occupying entire ventral margin of torifer but not overlapping bilobed epiproct ( Fig. 159 a, c); area around epiproct and base of same black; cercus ( Fig. 159 a, c) long, about twice as long as paraproct ( Fig. 159 b), forcipate and ending in a capitate tooth; paraproct bilobed, its ventral branch much smaller than larger dorsal branch, in lateral view, dorsal branch bluntly triangular.

Dimensions. Hw 21.5, abdomen 28.4, total length 36.7.

Description of female paratype ( Ecuador: Napo Prov., Cushillu-Yacu, Río Napo watershed, El Partidero). Head, pro- and pterothorax and S1–2 as in male ( Fig. 50 ), but postocular spots and antehumeral stripe dull purple and pale colors on side of thorax olive brown; S1 as in male; S2 black dorsally with a narrow ventral pale stripe; S3–7 black with vestiges of narrow pale lateral stripe; S8 black with blue distal spot occupying apical 0.40; S9 black with posterior 0.50 blue extending laterally and projecting anteriorly to basal 0.30; S10 blue dorsally, black ventrally, cerci and ovipositor black ( Fig. 97 ).

Mesostigmal lobe as in Fig. 120 , well developed but small, forming a flat medially directed digit-like lobe elevated above mesepisternum and not overlying branch of middorsal carina; in posterior view (as in Fig. 120 e) lobe thickened externally but lacking a tubercle at juncture with mesepisternum; mesepisternal tubercle absent.

Variation in paratypes. Little variation was observed in the paratype series. The dorsolateral spot on S 10 in male can range from present as in holotype to very small (El Partidero) or absent (Río Napo watershed). Pterostigma surmounting 1–2 cells in males, 1.5–2 in females; postnodals: Fw 16–18 in males, 16–17 in females, Hw 14–16 in males, 14–15 in females; postquadrangular cells Fw 3–5, Hw 3–4 in males, Fw 4–5, Hw 3–4 in females; RP2 at Fw 7–9, Hw 6–7 in males, Fw 7–8, Hw 6–7 in females. Dimensions. ♂: Hw 20.9 ± 1.09 [19–22.3], abdomen 27.3 ± 1.22 [25.7–29.3], total length 35.2 ± 1.51 [33.3–37.8]; ♀: Hw 22.1 ± 1.45 [20.2–23.7], abdomen 27.2 ± 1.84 [25.3–29.4], total length 35.2 ± 2.08 [33.1–37.7].

Diagnosis. This species is superficially similar to A. carolus and is diagnosed under that species. Within its range ( Ecuador), it is unlikely to be confused with any other species.

Habitat. Streams and rivers in forest. Specimens were taken at elevations ranging from about 400 m (Concepción-Río Napo) to 1,700 m (Guamo Yacu). Flight dates range from April (Headwaters of Río Arajuno) through December (Las Palmas, on Río Anzu).

Distribution. As far as known restricted to Ecuador east of the Andes ( Fig. 169 ).

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 26. Color pattern of male head, thorax, and S 1 – 4 of other species. Head, dorsal view, thorax and S 1 – 4, lateral view.

FIGURES 158 – 160. Male caudal appendages of other species. (a) mediodorsal view; (b) lateral view; (c) dorsal view.

FIGURES 73 – 79. Color pattern of male S 7 – 10 of other species, lateral view.

FIGURES 138 – 139. Genital ligula of other species. (a) lateral view; (b) ectal view; (c) entolateral view; (d) detail of field of michrothrichia on distal segment’s base.

FIGURES 50 – 52. Color pattern of female head, thorax, and S 1 – 4 of other species. Head, dorsal view, thorax and S 1 – 4, lateral view.

FIGURES 96 – 102. Color pattern of female S 7 – 10 of other species, lateral view (93 – 100, 102); S 1 – 5, dorsolateral view (101).

FIGURES 119 – 120. Female mesostigmal plates of other species. (a) frontal (anterior) view; (b) detail of left mesostigmal lobe, frontal view; (c) dorsal view; (d) detail of left mesostigmal lobe, dorsal view; (e) detail of right mesostigmal lobe, posterior view.

FIGURES 169 – 170. Distribution of other species.