Nephepeltia aequisetis Calvert, 1909

Ellenrieder, Natalia Von, 2014, A synopsis of the Neotropical genus Nephepeltia (Odonata: Libellulidae), including description of a new species, synonymies, and a key to males, Zootaxa 3796 (1), pp. 121-146 : 123-124

Nephepeltia aequisetis Calvert, 1909

Figures 2 a; 3a; 6a; 9a; 10a; 11a; 13a; 15

Nephepeltia aequisetis Calvert, 1909 (244; description of syntypes ♂ and ♀ from Brazil and Bolivia);— Ris (1911: 393, 395; in key);— Santos (1950: 16–20, figs. 7–8, 11, 17, 27–28, 47–48; redescription based on ♂ and ♀ from Brazil; illustrations of ♂ anterior lamina, genital fossa, S10, and vesica, and of ♀ pronotum and S9–10);— Costa et al. (2000: 16, record from São Paulo State, Brazil).

Type specimens examined. ♂ Lectotype, designated here: BRAZIL, Mato Grosso State, Cachoeira Cuiabá, flooded campo {15°35'N, 56°5'W, 194 m}, 26 i 1886, leg. H.H. Smith [ CMNH]; 3 ♂, 1 ♀ paralectotypes, same as lectotype [ CMNH]; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ paralectotypes, same but [ UMMZ]; 1 ♀, same but Chapada, leg. H.H. Smith [ CMNH]; 1 ♂, Bolivia, Piedra Blanca {10°11'N, 65°19'W, 114 m}, iv, leg. H.H. Smith [ CMNH].

Other specimens examined. Total 8 ♂, 4 ♀: ARGENTINA, Formosa Prov.: 1 ♀, Parque Nacional Pilcomayo, Laguna Blanca, marshes by pond (25°10'29''S, 58°07'44''W, 74 m), 16 ii 2008, NVE & RWG leg. [RWG]; 3 ♂, 2 ♀, Estancia Guaycola, 25 km N of Formosa (25°59'S, 58°12'W, 185m), 26 ii 1999 – 10 iii 1999, J. Ledford leg. [ACR]; Corrientes Prov.: 1 ♂, Mercedes, Arroyo Pay Ubre (29°01'41''S, 58°10'28''W, 65 m), 27 ii 2003, P. Pessacq & J. Muzón leg. [ MLP]. PARAGUAY, San Pedro Dep.: 1 ♀, Antequera, along road to San Pedro (24°08'S, 57°05'W, 64 m) 13 xii 1979, L. Strickman leg. [ FSCA]. BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz Dep.: 3 ♂, Guarayos Prov., 13 km south of Ascensión de Guarayos on Hwy 9, Hacienda Progreso, pond and wetlands (15°59'24''S, 63°07'10'' W, 234 m), 17–18 viii 2003, B. Mauffray leg. [ FSCA]; 1 ♂, Velasco Prov., pond NW of El Carmen de la Ruiza, 14 km NW on hwy to Concepción, marsh and pond (16°02'10''S, 61°05'56''W, 345 m), 11 xi 1999, B. Mauffray leg. [ FSCA].

Lectotype designation for Nephepeltia aequisetis . Calvert (1906: 244) described N. aequisetis based on a large series of specimens including 13 males and 14 females from Brazil, ‘Cachoeira Cuyabá’, one female from Brazil, Chapada, three males and three females from Brazil, Corumbá, and two males and one female from Bolivia, Piedra Blanca, without designating a holotype nor providing illustrations. I borrowed some of the syntypes, and since the large type series could include more than one species, in order to preserve stability of nomenclature and ensure a consistent application of the name, I hereby designate one of the male syntypes illustrated here ( Figs. 6 a; 9a; 10a; 13a) and deposited at the CMNH as lectotype of Nephepeltia aequisetis Calvert, 1909 , to act as the unique namebearing type of this taxon. Original type labels accompanying lectotype are as follows (handwriting in italics): [ Nephepeltia aequisetis Cal. / PPCalvert det. 1909/ AnCarMus.VIp.244/ TYPE ♂] [Cachoeira 6] [Cachoeira Cuyabá / Flooded campo. Jan.26]. The lectotype agrees well with Calvert’s (1909) description of the male.

Diagnosis. Males of Nephepeltia aequisetis can be distinguished from all congeners by the level of the distal end of ventral toothed carina of cercus at about distal fourth of cercus length ( Fig. 13 a; at about distal half to third in other species, Figs. 13 b–i). They share the tubercle on venter of thorax with N. berlai , N. flavifrons , and N. flavipennis ( Figs. 6 a–c; 7; smoothly convex or with a spine as long as twice its width in other species, Figs. 6 d; 8), and the spurs of inner row of male hind tibiae of about uniform placement and length with N. berlai , N. flavipennis , and N. phryne ( Figs. 2 a–b, e, g; closely set and peg-like at medial 0.33 in N. leonardina or shorter and more closely set at basal 0.50–0.75 in N. flavifrons , Figs. 2 c–d, f). Male vesica spermalis is most similar to that of N. berlai , but its medio-ectal distal process is only slightly shorter than the latero-ectal distal lobes ( Fig. 11 a; medio-ectal distal process distinctly shorter than latero-ectal lobes in N. berlai , Fig. 11 b, and longer than latero-ectal lobes or vestigial to absent in other species, Figs. 11 c–f). Females of N. aequisetis can be recognized from those of N. leonardina by the radial planate consisting of three cells and the base of Fw discoidal field with one cell (as in Fig. 3 a; four or five and two respectively in N. leonardina , Fig. 3 f), and from those of N. phryne (and possibly N. flavipennis , female unknown) by the presence of one cell between Fw subtriangle and hind margin of wing (as in Fig. 3 a; two cells in N. phryne , as in Fig. 3 g). The number of cells between Fw subtriangle and hind margin of wing is variable in N. berlai and N. flavifrons (one or two), and females of these species with one cell between Fw subtriangle and hind margin of wing are undistinguishable morphologically from those of N. aequisetis .

Distribution. Nephepeltia aequisetis is found from Brokopondo District in Suriname and Maranhão State in Brazil ( Santos 1950, not examined) south to E Bolivia, Paraguay, and NE Argentina ( Fig. 15 ), associated with ponds and marshes.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Male hind tibiae, lateral view of inner surface.

FIGURE 3. Male wings. d. f.: base of discoidal field; r. p.: radial planate; sub.: cells between subtriangle and hind margin of wing.

FIGURE 6. Male thoracic venter, lateral view.

FIGURE 11. Male vesica spermalis, lateral (above) and ventral (below) view. l. e.: latero-ectal sclerotized distal process; m. e.: medio-ectal sclerotized distal process.

FIGURE 13. Male S 10, lateral view. (a) and (b) by RWG.

FIGURE 15. Distribution of Nephepeltia species.