Argia limitata Navás, 1924

Garrison, Rosser W. & Ellenrieder, Natalia Von, 2018, Damselflies of the genus Argia (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) from Ecuador with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4470 (1), pp. 1-69 : 18-19

Argia limitata Navás, 1924

Figs. 53 (S7– 10 ♂), 97 (genital ligula ♂), 113, 114 (appendages ♂), 139 (map), 146 (photo).

Argia limitata Navás 1924: 330 , 331 [18, 19 separate], (description of ♂, " Perú: Canchahuaya. Río Ucayali, 1–10 de Febrero de 1913. (Col. m.)"); Schmidt 1942: 236 ( Peru); Rácenis 1959: 476 ( Peru), Heckman 2008: 352 (key, Peru); Hoffman 2009: 27, 39 ( Peru)

Argia cuprea Forma c: Fraser 1946: 445– 447 ( Figs. 1f, g ), (San Antonio, Peru).

Types. Lost?

Specimens examined (only those from Ecuador listed). 65 ♂♂, 35 ♀♀: Sucumbios Prov.: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ (1 pair in tandem) rocky river (about 100 feet wide) 37 km west Lago Agrio {0°3'22'' N, 76°35'12'' W, 278 m}, 20 August 1980, Sidney W. Dunkle leg. [ RWG] ; Orellana Prov.: 1 ♂, 12 km E of Loreto , ca 4 km east of highway 45; midsized stream (0°38'7'' S, 77°15'23'' W, 350 m), 11 October 2009, Jim Johnson leg. [ JJ] ; Napo Prov.: 1 ♂, 20 km down river near Puerto Napo, Napo River watershed {1°2'57'' S, 77°41'33'' W, 400 m}, 25 September 1942 ,

William Clarke-Macintyre leg. [ RWG]; 2 ♂♂, 5.3 km east on Jatun Satcha Road , Sinde River (1°3'6'' S, 77°45'16'' W, 440 m), 13 July 1996 , William F. Mauffray leg. [ FSCA]; same data but 6 ♂♂, 22 July 1996 [ FSCA]; same data but 1 ♂, 12 November 1996 [ FSCA]; 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ (3 pairs in tandem), 5.3 km east on Jatun Satcha Road , Sinde River (1°3'6'' S, 77°45'16'' W, 440 m), 22 July 1996 , William F. Mauffray leg. [ FSCA]; same data but 8 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, 12 November 1996 [ FSCA]; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (in tandem), 8.5 km east on road to Coca Rd , rocky gravely stream (0°36'56'' S, 77°17'17'' W, 408 m), 14 November 1997 , William F. Mauffray leg. [ FSCA]; 1 ♂, Misahuallí Jungle Lodge , 15 km southeast of Tena (1°2'6'' S, 77°39'48'', 400 m), 7–15 October 1997 , J. A. Smith leg. [ ACR]; 2 ♂♂, Puerto Napo , 11.2 km east of highway 45 on Jatun Sacha road, Tiyuyacu River (1°3'6'' S, 77°42'6'' W, 522 m), 23 July 1996 , William F. Mauffray leg. [ FSCA]; same data but 1 ♂, 13 November 1997 [ FSCA]; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ (2 pairs in tandem), Puerto Napo , 11.2 km east of highway 45 on Jatun Sacha road, Tiyuyacu River, 23 July 1996 , William F. Mauffray leg. [ FSCA]; same data but 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 13 November 1997 [ FSCA]; 1 ♀, Cotopino River {1°0' S, 78°42' W, 400 m}, 25 February 1950 , William Clarke-Macintyre leg. [ UMMZ]; same data but 1 ♂, 26 February 1950 [ UMMZ]; 1 ♀, Ila River , near Hacienda Ila {1°12' S, 77°50' W, 700 m}, 16 December 1936 , William Clarke- Macintyre leg. [ RWG]; 1 ♂, Jondachi River , near Archidona {0°43'0'' S, 77°48'0'' W, 800 m}, November 1939 , William Clarke-Macintyre leg. [ UMMZ]; 2 ♂♂, Pupuyacu River (tributary of Napo River) {0°12'0'' S, 77°50'0'' W, 500 m}, 21 November 1934 , William Clarke-Macintyre leg. [ RWG]; 2 ♂♂, stream on Jatun Sacha Road , 11.2 km east Puerto Napo (1°3'0'' S, 77°47'0'' W, 522 m), 15 June 1995 , Sidney W. Dunkle leg. [ RWG]; same data but 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (in tandem), stream on road to Jatun Sacha , 11.2 km east of Puerto Napo , Kenneth J. Tennessen leg. [ RWG]; 1 ♀, Upper Ila River , vicinity of Napo, Napo River watershed {1°12' S, 77°50' W, 700 m}, 21 November 1934 , William Clarke-Macintyre leg. [ RWG]; Pastaza Prov. : 1.5 km south of Puyo, Pido Grande River {1°29'47'' S, 78°0'48'' W, 916 m}, 19 May 1977 , D. L. & S. S. Vincent leg. [ RWG]; 1 ♀, Puyo (1°28'0'' S, 77°59'0'' W, 1,000 m), 3–7 April 2008 , T. & K. Miyashita leg. [ HK]; same data but 1 ♀, 10 May 2009 [ HK]; same data but 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, April 2009 [ HK]; 18 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀ (7 pairs in tandem), Puyo , 5 km south on highway 45, Sandalis River and tributaries (1°30'33'' S, 78°2'50'' W, 978 m), 11 November 1997 , William F. Mauffray leg. [ FSCA]; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (in copula), Sandalias River , 5 km south of Puyo, 11 November 1997 (1°30'1'' S, 77°57'8'' W, 1,000 m) , Thomas W. Donnelly leg. [ RWG]; 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, same data but Kenneth J. Tennessen leg. [ RWG]; Zamora-Chinchipe Prov. : 1 ♂, Yantzaza, 6.5 km [north on highway 45] at Chicana River (3°46'30'' S, 78°44'36'' W, 760 m), 6 November 1997 , William F. Mauffray leg. [FSCA].

Remarks: This is one of three species of Argia (the two others being A. charalana and A. lobata ) described by Navás whose type (s) have apparently been lost. Strong circumstantial evidence has allowed us to associate this name with specimens we include here. The original description of the abdomen describes an oenea -like metallic species with abdominal segments largely blue ("Abdomen in ferne nigrum, superne maxima parte caeruleum vel caruleo-viride. Primum tergitum macula transversa basali nigra, apicem haud attingente; secundum (fig. 12, b) subtotum nigrum, stria brevi dentata laterali caerulea prope apicem; 3-7 annulo apicali nigro (fig. 12, b), antrorsum et sursum in dentem lateralem internum dilatato; 8-9 tota caerulea, 10 basi caeruleum, apice et lateribus nigris; cercis nigris, superioribus arcuatis, apice attenuatis, inferioribus paulo longioribus, apice fortiter in duos lobos vel dentes divisis, superiorem crassiorem et obtusum, inferiorem longiorem et acutum. [Abdomen black below, above for the most part blue or blue-green. First tergite with a black transverse spot, rather not reaching the apex, the second one (fig. 12, b) nearly totally black, near the apex with a short blue lateral stripe having teeth; 3–7 with a black apical ring (fig. 12, b), broadened posteriorly into a lateral inward tooth; 8–9 totally blue, 10 blue at the base, at the apex and the sides black; the cerci black, the superiors arched, attenuated at the extreme end; the inferiors a little longer, at the extreme end strongly divided into two lobes or teeth, the superior one stouter (thicker?) and obtuse, the inferior one longer and pointed]. Navás’ description and figures 12a (S10 and appendages) and 12b (tip of S3 only; S2 is apparently erroneous as we have seen no specimens with the maculation depicted in his figure; we suspect that the error may be due to postmortem discoloration) match specimens we have seen from the Huallaga River region of Peru and this is the only oenea -like metallic blue species known from that country.

We examined two metallic " holotypes " of an Argia in the BMNH, both labeled by Fraser. The description of one of them ( Fraser 1946), Argia cuprea Forma c states that "...segment 7 [is] entirely black.." but this is incorrect; the abdominal pattern matches our Fig. 53. Our illustration of its appendages ( Fig. 114 ) is consistent with other material we consider to represent A. limitata ( Fig. 113 ). The other " holotype ", Argia cuprea Forma d, was not mentioned by Fraser except as " A. cupraurea Calv. forma d" but examination shows that it is also A. limitata .

Differentiation of A. limitata is given under A. philipi .

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Color pattern of head. Head, anterior view (1); head posterior view (2–5); labrum, anterior view (6–8).

FIGURES 111–114. Male caudal appendages. (a) lateral view; (b) dorsal view; (c) mediodorsal view.