Agriocnemis canuango Dijkstra

Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B., Kipping, Jens & Mézière, Nicolas, 2015, Sixty new dragonfly and damselfly species from Africa (Odonata), Odonatologica 44 (4), pp. 447-678 : 500-502

Agriocnemis canuango Dijkstra sp. nov. – Bog Wisp (Type Photo 13, Photo 20, Fig. 9)

Taxonomy Morphologically and genetically unlike any known Agriocnemis Selys, 1877 species. Material studied

Holotype ♂. RMNH.INS.508419 , Angola, Uíge Province, 4 km NE of Negage, Canuango River, open bog adjacent to small blackwater river in palm swamp, 1225 m a.s.l. (7.7351 ° S 15.2887 ° E), 28–29 -xi- 2012, leg. K.- D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH .

Further material. 4 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.508417 ), 3 ♀ ( RMNH.INS.508418 ), as holotype, RMNH .

Genetics

One unique haplotype (n= 3) is distant from other Agriocnemis species, which suggests the species has no close relatives.

Male morphological diagnosis

Unique among African Agriocnemis species by the (1) pronotal hindlobe that is entire and extended laterally and folded upwards to form a pair of erect knobs, which are flattened with rounded tips and thus rather spoon- like; and the terminal abdominal structure with (2) the distal border of S 10 extended dorso-medially into a rounded knob that is about half as long as the segment, somewhat like in A. ruberrima Balinsky, 1961 but much thick- er; (3) the cerci that are almost as long as S 10 and over twice as long as the paraprocts, appearing rather thick, down-turned and distally truncated in lateral view, although their inside is hollowed out and thus appears ear-like in dorsal view, with a tiny black tooth directed straight downwards at their extreme base; and (4) the paraprocts reduced and rounded, with a ventral black tooth positioned externally to the cercal tooth, but even smaller and placed even more basally and visible only caudally ( Fig. 9). Other notable features include (5) the small size, Hw 9.3–9.7 mm (n = 5); (6) the black labrum with a greenish white border; (7) all Pt pale brown with the anterior border about twice as long as the posterior; and (8) the distally orange to reddish abdomen from halfway S 7, whether teneral or mature.

Etymology

Named after the type locality (noun in apposition).

Range and ecology

Only known from the type locality in northern Angola, just 400 m from that of A. toto sp. nov., a small grassy bog with almost no open water ( Photo 20), close to a blackwater river with gallery swamp forest on a grassy sandy plateau at 1 225 m a.s.l. Mature adults were found in fair numbers among the tussocks after rain in the late afternoon, but were not seen during sunny weather between late morning and noon a few days later.