Heteragrion denisye Vilela, Koroiva & Guillermo-Ferreira, 2019

Vilela, Diogo Silva, Lencioni, Frederico A. A., Bota-Sierra, Cornelio A., Ware, Jessica L. & Bispo, Pitágoras C., 2023, Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Heteragrion Selys, 1862 (Zygoptera: Heteragrionidae): male morphology, new species and illustrated key, Zootaxa 5356 (1), pp. 1-96 : 45-46

Heteragrion denisye Vilela, Koroiva & Guillermo-Ferreira, 2019

( Figs. 30a–d )

[Key locator: Key to Group A species, couplet 11 (10’)]

Heteragrion denisye: Vilela et al. 2019b: 589–594 (description of ♁ from Minas Gerais state; diagnosis and comparison with the original description of H. obsoletum and H. cyane );— Cezário & Guillermo-Ferreira 2021: 78–86 (comparison with H. gorbi and other Heteragrion “blue species”).

Material examined. 1♁ (HOLOTYPE) BRAZIL, Minas Gerais state, São Roque de Minas, Serra da Canastra National Park , 25.x.2018, (-20.2323, -46.6085, 1305 m asl), D.S. Vilela, R. Koroiva, V. Nobrega & M. Lera leg., LESTES .

Known distribution. Brazil (Western Minas Gerais state).

Diagnosis and remarks. Known only from the male holotype, H. denisye is one of the “blue species” of Group A, along with H. cyane and H. gorbi . This paucity of individuals caused it to be assessed as Data Deficient in the IUCN Red List, pending further search of specimens at the type location to evaluate its actual conservation status ( Lozano 2022). The taxonomic placement of H. denisye was extensively discussed in Vilela et al. (2019b) and the following character combination distinguishes this species from the remainder of Group A species: ML ridge almost reaching its apex ( Fig. 30c ); ML formed by a broad plate ( Fig. 30d ); ML apex bilobate, both lobes rounded ( Fig. 30c ).

Figures

FIGURE 30. Heteragrion denisye: (a) anterior view of head; (b) lateral view of pterothorax; (c) mediodorsal view of cercus; (d) laterodorsal view of cerci. ML: medial lobe.