Planaeschna cucphuongensis Karube, 1999

Kompier, Tom, Karube, Haruki, Futahashi, Ryo & Phan, Quoc Toan, 2021, The genus Planaeschna McLachlan, 1895 and its subgroupings in Vietnam, with descriptions of three new species (Odonata: Aeshnidae), Zootaxa 5027 (1), pp. 1-35 : 19-20

8. Planaeschna cucphuongensis Karube, 1999

( Figs 11F–J , 12A–D )

Planaeschna cucphuongensis: Karube (1999) pp. 279–282, Figs 1–6 ; von Ellenrieder et al. (2015) p. 4 (checklist); Yokoi & Souphanthong (2014) p. 36 plate 13, p. 83 (map); Do & Dang (2007) p. 78 (distribution map), p. 132 (checklist).

Materials examined. 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Pu Luong NR, Thanh Hoa Prov., 15-V-2015, TK leg .; 1 ♀, Cuc Phuong NP, Ninh

Binh Prov., 16-VI-2015, TK leg. (Specimen used for description); 1 ♂, Xuan Son NP, Phu Tho Prov., 22-X-2016, TK leg .

Additional observations. 1 ♂, Cuc Phuong NP, Ninh Binh Prov., 24-VII-2016, TK .

First description of female ( Figs 11I , 12B, 12D ).

Head ( Fig. 12D ). Labium, base of mandibles, labrum, anteclypeus, postclypeus and antefrons orange brown, yellower on central upper part of labrum and shading to dark brown on somewhat pointed upper margin of antefrons. Postfrons dark brown. Antennae dark brown. Vertex and occiput black. Compound eyes bluish-green, yellow at lower posterior margin.

Thorax ( Fig. 12B ). Prothorax brownish. Pterothorax brown with yellow-green or yellow markings as follows: two green dorsal stripes on the mesepisternum. Antealar sinus all brown. Mesepimeron brown along humeral suture, but largely covered by broad yellow lateral stripe, greener dorsally. Metepisternum with small green triangle near base of wing. Metepimeron mostly yellow. Legs including spikes and claws blackish brown, but base of fore and middle femora brown.

Wings hyaline, with black veins. Basal area brown as far as the arculus. Nodal index: 19–22:23–18/20–16:18– 20; Pt blackish brown covering 3–4 underlying cells in FW and HW. Triangle 3–4 celled in FW, 4-celled in HW. Anal loop 8-celled.

Abdomen ( Figs 11I , 12B ) blackish brown with markings as follows: S1 with a small yellow spot mid-dorsally and mostly yellow laterally. S2 with yellow ventral half, dorsally ( Fig. 11I ) with yellow-green markings as follows: a thin wedge-shaped AD mark extending to just anterior of two MD-spots with apices pointing laterally. A thin line extends from a semi-circular PD spot to just before the centre, all markings together creating a cross-shape. S3 with large yellow AL mark, narrowly connected to a small greenish-yellow PL spot, dorsally with two greenish triangular MD spots and two small oval PD spots. S4–7 with green MD spots and kidney-shaped yellow AL spots. S8 with small yellow AL mark. S9–10 black.

Anal appendages ( Fig. 12B ) cerci black, about as long as S9. Ovipositor black.

Variation. Other specimen virtually identical. MD spots on S7 absent and yellow AL spot on S8 more prominent. Dark brown suffusion at base of wing more intense.

Measurements (in mm). HW 42.8–44.0; abdomen incl. appendages 46.3–46.5

Ecology. Records from Pu Luong NR were along a secluded gully on a forested hill. Records from Cuc Phuong NP are from deep inside the rainforest at karst streams, and the record from Xuan Son from a karst stream under heavy forest cover. No other Planaeschna have been found in Cuc Phuong NP, but at Xuan Son NP it shares its habitat with at least five different Planaeschna species.

Distribution. Endemic to Vietnam (Phu Tho Prov., Ninh Binh Prov., and Thanh Hoa Prov.).

Notes. Planaeschna cucphuongensis was previously known only from Cuc Phuong NP. The records from Pu Luong NR are not surprising, because this reserve is located on the same mountain range as Cuc Phuong NP and is an extension of the Cuc Phuong forest. The occurrence at Xuan Son NP is more remarkable, not only because of the geographical separation, but also because the male specimen there was collected in October. Planaeschna cucphuongensis was thus far known only from June ( Karube 1999; von Ellenrieder et al. 2015). The May records from Thanh Hoa were of a teneral male and young female, which is in accordance with the records from Cuc Phuong NP from June. The late occurrence in Xuan Son NP is another example of the pattern of different flight periods in different geographical areas also seen in P. crux and P. tamdaoensis .

Karube (1999) pointed out the similarity of this species to P. chiengmaiensis , a species known from a highaltitude area in southwestern Thailand and China ( Zhang 2019). It shares with P. cucphuongensis the dark brown wing bases in the female and the lack of markings on the antealar sinus, which are both uncommon features amongst Planaeschna species. Planaeschna cucphuongensis and P. chiengmaiensis seem to be closely related, but the dorsal pattern of S2 is different (compare Fig. 11H and Fig. 12E ) and the epiproct of P. cucphuongensis is relatively longer compared to the cerci.

Yokoi & Souphanthong (2014) mention P. cucphuongensis from Laos, but the locality and date are unclear and the illustration does not rule out other species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A neighbour-joining phylogeny of Vietnamese Planaeschna species based on nuclear genes (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, 1,081 bp). Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies exhibited substantially similar topologies. On each node, statistical support values are indicated in the order of [bootstrap value of neighbour-joining]/[bootstrap value of maximum likelihood]/ posterior probability (percentages) of Bayesian]. Accession numbers are shown in parentheses.

FIGURE 2. A neighbour-joining phylogeny of Vietnamese Planaeschna species based on mitochondrial genes (16SrRNA and COI, 965 bp). Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies exhibited substantially similar topologies. On each node, statistical support values are indicated in the order of [bootstrap value of neighbour-joining]/[bootstrap value of maximum likelihood]/[posterior probability (percentages) of Bayesian]. Asterisks indicate support values lower than 50%. Accession numbers are shown in parentheses.

FIGURE 3. Planaeschna samurai sp. nov. [A, C] face, [B, D] lateral habitus alive, [E, F] scan of dorsal habitus, [G–H] anal appendages in dorsal (G) and lateral (H) view. (A) paratype male, Pia Oac NP, Cao Bang Prov., 18-X-2014, (B, E, G–H) holotype, (C–D, F) paratype female, Tu Le, Yen Bai Prov., 16-X-2015.

FIGURE 4. Planaeschna tomokunii [A–C] lateral habitus alive, including face, [D–E] scans of dorsal habitus, [F–G] anal appendages of male in lateral (F) and dorsal (G) view. (A, F–G) male, Tam Dao NP, Vinh Phuc Prov., 3-VII-2016, (B) immature male, same location, 4-VI-2016, (C, E) female, same location, 24-IX-2015, (D) male, same location, 16-VI-2016.

FIGURE 5. Planaeschna tsuchi sp. nov. [A–B] lateral habitus alive, including face, [C] scan of dorsal habitus, [D] dorsal habitus in situ, [E–F] anal appendages of male in dorsal (E) and lateral (F) view. (A) male paratype, 26-X-2014, (B) female paratype, 15-X-2015, (C, E–F) holotype, (D) female paratype, 24-X-2015.

FIGURE 6. Planaeschna viridis male, Bach Ma NP. Thus Thien-Hue Prov., 7-VIII-2016. (A) lateral habitus alive, including face, [B–C] anal appendages in lateral (B) and dorsal (C) view, (D) dorsal pattern of S2.

FIGURE 11. Comparison of details of Planaeschna crux sp. nov. and P. cucphuongensis [A–B, H–I] dorsal pattern of S2, [C, J] dorsal view of thorax showing antealar sinus, [D, F] male anal appendages in dorsal view, [E, G] male anal appendages in lateral view. (A, C–E) holotype P. crux, (B) paratype female P. crux used for description, (F–H, J) male P. cucphuongensis, Xuan Son NP, Phu Tho Prov., 22-X-2016, (I) female P. cucphuongensis, Cuc Phuong NP, Ninh Binh Prov., 16-VI-2015.

FIGURE 12. Planaeschna cucphuongensis alive in hand [A–B] lateral habitus, [C–D] face, and detail of P. chiengmaiensis [E] dorsal pattern pterothorax and S1–2. (A, C) male, Xuan Son NP, Phu Tho Prov., 22-X-2016, (B, D) female, Cuc Phuong NP, Ninh Binh Prov., 16-VI-2015, (E) male, Chiang Khong, Chiang Rai Prov., Thailand, 30-IV-2001, courtesy of Mr. A. Sugitani.