Lestes apollinaris Navás, 1934

Fig. 4E–F (♁ and ♀ head), Fig. 7A–C (♁ pterothorax), Fig. 9E–F (♁ genital ligula), Fig. 11A–B (♁ caudal appendages), Fig. 12G–I (♀ pterothorax), Fig. 14C (♀ ovipositor), Fig. 17 (distribution), Fig. 21A–C (♁ and couple in tandem field photos).

Etymology: Named after priest Apollinar María.

Type locality: Pandi, Cundinamarca, Colombia .

Distribution: Colombia (Boyacá, Caquetá, Cundinamarca, Huila, Santander, Valle del Cauca), Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.

Female described: Yes Larva described: Yes— De Marmels (2004)

Altitudinal range: 174–2584 m IUCN status: LC— Bota-Sierra et al. (2021)

Records in previous references: Ris (1918), Navás (1934), Donnelly (1996), Urrutia (2005), Pérez-Gutiérrez & Palacino-Rodríguez (2011), Torres-Pachón & Realpe (2015)

Material examined (31♁♁, 4♀♀). Colombia, Cundinamarca, San Francisco de Sales, vereda San Miguel, 4.6305N, 74.4480W, 1600 m, 01-07-2006, L. Pérez leg., 2♁♁ (UARC 1046, 1047) ; Boyacá, Aquitania, 5.4465N, 72.7316W, 1991 m, 09-11-2017, C. Bota leg., 1♁ (CEUA) ; Huila, El Pital, vereda El Recreo, 2.2741N, 75.8919W, 05-07-2013, C. Bota leg., 1♁ (CEUA 74200) ; Santander, Betulia, vereda San Rafael, 6.9000N, 73.3166W, 2100 m, 10-08-2013, C. Bota leg., 1♁ (CEUA 74249) ; as the previous but, Zapatoca, 1550 m, 09-08-2013 (CEUA 74250) ; Cundinamarca, El Colegio, Finca La Ponderosa, 4.5618N, 74.3818W, 2008 m, 12-09-2020, C. Mendoza leg., 1♁, 1♀ (ANDES-E 28444, 28445) ; San Francico de Sales, 4.9737N, 74.2891W, 1520 m, 26-10-2012, E. Realpe leg., 3♁♁ (ANDES-E 22416, 22418, 22419) ; San Francico de Sales, vereda San Miguel, 5.0013N, 74.2583W, 1600 m, 01-11-2004, S. Cardona leg., 8♁♁, 1♀ (ANDES-E 3810–3817, 17195) ; Soacha, estación Nueva Esperanza, 4.5673N, 74.2797W, 2558 m, 19-09-2015, C. Mendoza leg., 1♁ (ANDES-E 28443) ; Tena, Laguna de Pedro Palo, 4.6761N, 74.3852W, 1760 m, 11-04-2006, L. Pérez leg., 1♀ (ANDES-E 17313) ; Huila, Palestina, PNN Cueva de los Guácharos, 1.6154N, 76.1024W, 1200 m, 18-03-2018, M. Ramírez, M. Fonseca leg., 1♁ (ANDES-E 23381) ; Cundinamarca, Tena, Laguna de Pedro Palo, 4.6810N, 74.3870W, 2080 m, 1♁ (ICN) ; Boyacá, Gachantivá, Laguna de los Colorados, 5.7530N, 73.5510W, 2350 m, 5♁♁ (ICN) ; Tog ¸í, finca Versalles, 5.9400N, 73.5100W, 1638 m, 3♁♁ (ICN) ; Casanare, San Luis de Palenque, 5.4250N, 71.7350W, 174 m, 1♀ (ICN) ; Huila, La Plata, Reserva natural Meremberg, 2.2210N, 76.1290W, 2081 m, 2♁♁ (MUSENUV) ; Valle del Cauca, Cali, San Antonio, 3.4470N, 76.5420W, 2082 m, 1♁ (MUSENUV) .

Morphological characteristics: head dark brown, except labrum, clypeus, and mandibles pale blue. Pterothorax (Figs. 7A–B, 12G–I, 21) pale blue, except a wide longitudinal black band with metallic luster in mesepisternum and mesepimeron, mts black and PST yellow with six black dots (as in Fig. 7C). Genital ligula rectangular, internal fold width more than 1/3 of S2, surface entire (Fig. 9E), reaching anterior fold of S2 (Fig. 9F). Male cerci long, with strong basal tooth projected distally at 45°; edge of medial portion straight without denticles; primary curvature type II (Fig. 11A); secondary curvature type I (Fig. 11B). Paraprocts robust, apophyses less than 1/3 of the cerci length, apices curved (Fig. 11B). Basal plate with posterior and ventral margins split (Fig. 14C).

Remarks: This species is distributed in the northern Andes, and ranges from Peru, Ecuador to Venezuela (De Marmels 1988; Hoffman 2009; Mauffray & Tennessen 2019). In Colombia, it occurs along the western slopes of the Cordillera Oriental, in the Magdalena River valley, and the Oriental savannas (Fig. 17). This species has been closely related to L. henshawi (Navás, 1934) and further comments are given under that species.

Habitat and biology: Adults are found in small temporary ponds originated by rainwater or seepage from pipes, usually with muddy bottoms and small fragments of shrubs and grasses. Regarding the reproductive behavior, a pair of L. apollinaris was observed copulating perched on emergent vegetation, approximately one meter above the pond at midday on a cloudy day (Fig. 19). The entire copulation process lasts about five minutes. Once copulation is complete, the male releases the female, and the oviposition process begins on the stem of the grasses (pers. obs.).