Ischnura hastata

Tennessen, K. J., 2008, Gynandromorphs in the genera Ophiogomphus Selys, 1854 and Ischnura Charpentier, 1840 (Odonata: Gomphidae, Coenagrionidae), Insecta Mundi 2008 (37), pp. 1-3 : 2-3

Gynandromorph of Ischnura hastata

COLLECTION DATA: ALABAMA, Escambia County, pond near junction of Co. Rd. 53 & Hwy. 29, 6 May 1993, leg K. J. Tennessen .

HEAD. Pattern as in mature female.

THORAX. Color pattern consists of a wide black middorsal stripe and olive/tan mesepisternum (patterned as in typical mature females; see Lam 2004, p. 84, for excellent color illustrations of male and immature and mature female color patterns). Wing length (fore wing 15.1 mm, hind wing 14.1 mm) fits within the range for normal females, in which the hind wing varies from 11.5-15.0 mm ( Westfall and May 2006). The shape and size of the pterostigma match that of typical females.

ABDOMEN. Length (21.2 mm) fits within the range for females (17.5-22.0 mm; Westfall and May 2006). Dorsal color is black and yellow; the dorsum of segments 1-3 is black and segment 4 is mostly black but with an elongate yellow stripe on the left side; segments 5-7 appear to be half male, half female, as the left side is yellow (in typical males nearly entirely yellow) and the right side is mostly black (in typical females entirely black). The apical segments (8-10) have asymmetrical yellow and black blotches (Fig. 3 and 5). The sternite of segment 2 has a small medial hole (Fig. 4), and although this opening indicates slight intrusion of male genital features, I could not discern any definite structure within the cavity under 50x magnification. There is also a small apical black scar on the left side. The ovipositor is incomplete and malformed. Only one pair of gonapophyses is visible and these are on the right side but curve left (Fig. 5 and 6); the single valve on the right side also curves left and upward; the stylus is similar to that of typical females. The cerci, in dorsal and lateral view, are shaped as in females. The paraproct is rounded on the right side, as in typical females, but the left side has a curved apical arm shaped nearly exactly as in typical males (Fig. 3 and 5).

As in the O. smithi specimen, the left side of this damselfly has male features whereas the right side is mainly female. In overall body stature, it is more female-like. It does not seem likely that this individual could have mated with either a male or a female, as the anal appendages would not be capable of holding a female and the malformed ovipositor would probably prevent sperm transfer. It also seems improbable that it could have laid eggs with the

incomplete ovipositor. The only previous reports of

a gynandromorph in Coenagrionidae were by Calvert

(1919), who listed a specimen of Enallagma

vesperum as “gynandromorphic” but gave no fur-

ther details, and Haritonova (1987), who described

a specimen of Ischnura fountainei Morton that re-

sembled a male but had female genitalia.