Epigomphus brillantina, Bota-Sierra & Novelo-Gutiérrez, 2020

Bota-Sierra, Cornelio Andrés & Novelo-Gutiérrez, Rodolfo, 2020, Two new species of Colombian Epigomphus (Odonata: Gomphidae), Zootaxa 4896 (2), pp. 265-276 : 271-275

Epigomphus brillantina sp. nov.

( Figs. 6–8 )

Material examined: Two adult males (2 ♂♂). CEUA: Holotype. ♂, CEUA 81502 , 28 May 2014, COLOMBIA, Antioquia Department, Remedios Municipality, La Cruz Township, Finca La Brillantina 6.881105°, -74.569295°; 558 m a.s.l., Leg: C. Flórez and C. Bota. Paratype, 1 ♂ same as holotype.

Etymology: brillantina (to be treated as an indeclinable noun) is the word in Spanish for brilliantine, referring to something shiny. It is the name of the forest island protected and preserved by Don Gustavo Campuzano and his family for the last 30 years, which is a refugee to many species of this region’s flora and fauna, including several endemic and threatened Odonata species and the only location so far known for this new species.

Description of holotype. Head brown, frons with two yellow greenish stripes separated by a small brown portion on the middle, clypeus with dorsolateral green spots. Occiput with two small diagonal scars ( Figs. 6 a–b, 7a).

Thorax. Brown, but yellow as follows: pronotum except the posterior lobe, a longitudinal line on mesepisternum and a transverse line on its anterior border, second pale antehumeral stripe reduced to a single, small, posterior spot, a longitudinal line on mesepimeron, a stripe on metepisternum which apex converges with the completely yellow metepimeron, antealar crest with yellow spots ( Figs. 6 a–b). Legs brown except distal portion of femora, tibiae, and tarsi which are black. Metafemora approximately 1 ½ the length of mesofemora ( Figs. 6 a–b). All femora with external row of spines. Tibiae with long, slender spines on external border, except protibiae with a row of ten scalelike spines on external side. Tarsal claws brown with subapical tooth. Wings. Hyaline, black veins and brown Pt. Pt covering 9 ½ cells in FW, 7 ½ in right and 8 ½ cells in left HW. Left FW with 17 Ax, right FW with 18, FWs with 15 Px; left HW with 14 Ax, right HW with 13 Ax; left HW with 12 Px, right HW with 13 Px; supratriangles, triangles and subtriangles without crossveins. Second reinforced antenodal in FWs 6th, in the right HW the 6th and in the left the 7th ( Fig. 4a ). Cubito-anal crossveins in addition to inner side of subtriangle, 3 in FWs, 2 in HWs. Crossveins in space between sectors of arculus and point of branching of RP on HW 3 in left, 4 in right.

Abdomen. Club-like, becoming thinner on S3 and widening again on S8, S10 is the widest segment ( Figs. 6 a–b). Dark brown but S1 yellow except posterodorsal portion, S2 auricles and lateroventral portion yellow, S3 with an anterolateral yellow spot and a thin yellow posterolateral line, S4–6 with anterior yellow rings, S7 anterior ¾ yellow, S8 ventrolateral margin yellow ( Figs. 6 a–b). Auricles rounded and dorsally swollen with a posterobasal process bearing rows of three black teeth directed ventrally ( Fig 7c ). Components of genital fossa dark brown, anterior lamina posterior border sinuose in ventral view with a medial concavity ( Fig 7c ); anterior hamuli petiolate, widening towards apical portion, ending in a rounded point ( Fig 7c ); posterior hamuli long, approximately twice the length of anterior hamuli, slightly curved backwards in lateral view ( Fig 7b ), its mesial side covered by black tubercles ( Fig 7c ). Vesica spermalis ( Figs. 7 b–c, 8a): segment 1 concave in ventral view, in lateral view with a ventroapical rounded process directed distally; segment 3 widening towards its distal portion, two ventro apical horns directed distally; segment 4, prepuce rounded, lateral lobe strongly bulging dorsally, with a slender projection directed posteriorly and parallel to cornua; cornua short. Cercus longer than epiproct and S10 ( Figs. 8 e–f). Cerci concave mesially, in lateral view, with a dorsoapical pointed mesial process which turns downwards ( Figs. 8 e–f), the ventroapical edge has a series of four small denticles ( Figs. 8c , e–f), in posterior and dorsal views a rounded dorsoapical external process is observed ( Figs. 8 b–c). Epiproct divided in two lateroapical branches ( Figs. 8 b–d), each of them with a rounded tubercle on tip and an elevated medial process which is easily observed in posterior view ( Figs. 8 b–c); the lateroapical branches converge in a medial oval notch which is not easily observed in dorsal view since it is invaginated under the lateroapical processes of epiproct ( Figs. 8b, d ).

Measurements (mm): TL 57, Ab 44, FW 37, HW 35.

Paratype variation: Pt. Pt covering 8 cells in FW, 9 ½ HW. Ax in FW 16–17, Px in FW 12; Ax, in HW 13, Px in HW 13. Second reinforced antenodal in FWs 6–7th; ( Fig. 4a ). Two cubito-anal crossveins in addition to inner side of subtriangle in FW. Five crossveins in space between sectors of arculus and point of branching of RP on HW.

Measurements (mm): TL 56, Ab 43, FW 36, HW 34.

Diagnosis. Epigomphus brillantina shares with a group of 16 species, including most of the South American and some Central American species, its second pale antehumeral stripe reduced to a single small posterior spot ( Table 1 ). Among them, the males of eleven species share with E. brillantina cercus length longer than S10 ( Figs. 8 e–f). Within this group, E. brillantina and E. quadracies are the only two species that share cercus with a pointed dorsoapical process curved downward easily observed in lateral view ( Figs. 8 e–f), but E. brillantina can be easily distinguished from E. quadracies by the shape of its epiproct which has a rounded apical tubercle on each lateroapical process while in E. quadracies two apical points are observed ( Calvert 1920; Kennedy 1946) ( Figs. 8 b–d). Also, the median portion of the posterior border of epiproct has a quadrangular notch in E. quadracies ( Calvert 1920; Kennedy 1946) that can be observed both in ventral and dorsal view, while in E. brillantina this notch is oval and is not easily observed in dorsal view since it is invaginated under the lateroapical processes of epiproct ( Figs. 8 b–d). Furthermore, the dorsal slender projection of the vesica spermalis fourth segment is longer in E. brillantina compared to that of E. quadracies .

Distribution and habitat: This species is so far only known to occur in one locality in the eastern foothills of the Colombian Central Cordillera, in the Magdalena basin ( Fig. 5 ). The specimens were found in the interior of the forest close to first order streams.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Epigomphus rufus male paratype abdomen: caudal appendages: a, lateral view; c, dorsal view. b, S2 lateral view; d, S2 ventral view. a. h.: anterior hamuli; a. l.: anterior lamina; a. t.: apical tooth; p. h.: posterior hamuli; s1: first segment of vesica spermalis; sa. t.: subapical tooth.

FIGURE 5. Map with the type localities of Epigomphus rufus and E. brillantina.

FIGURE 6. Epigomphus brillantina habitus: a, teneral specimen live in the field (photograph by Camilo Flórez); b, male holotype.

FIGURE 7. Epigomphus brillantina: male paratype dorsal view of head; male holotype: b, lateral view of S2; c, ventral view of S2. a. h.: anterior hamuli; a. l.: anterior lamina; cor: cornua; hrn: horns; l. l. p.: lateral lobe slender projection; p. h.: posterior hamuli; prep: prepuce; s1: first segment of vesica spermalis; s3: third segment of vesica spermalis.

FIGURE 8. Epigomphus brillantina male paratype S10 and caudal appendages: a, dorsal view; b ventral view; c, posterior view; d, lateral view. ap: apical process; da. e. p.: dorsoapical external process; da. i. p.: dorsoapical internal process; m. p.: medial process; s. d.: small denticles.