Africocypha varicolor Dijkstra, Mézière & Günther, 2015

Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B., Kipping, Jens & Mézière, Nicolas, 2015, Sixty new dragonfly and damselfly species from Africa (Odonata), Odonatologica 44 (4), pp. 447-678 : 462-464

Africocypha varicolor Dijkstra, Mézière & Günther sp. nov. – Polychrome Jewel

(Type Photo 2 , Photos 3 –6, 52, Fig. 2)

Taxonomy

Genetically and morphologically notably distinct from other African chlorocyphids, but by its character combination best considered as a third species of the eccentric genus Africocypha Pinhey, 1961 (see Dijkstra et al. 2014). Remarkable among African Odonata for the discrete male colour forms.

Material studied

Holotype ♂. Gabon, Haut-Ogooué Province, 14 km SE of Moanda, “Africa No 1 ” radio station, Moyabi, Bapoupou Stream near Madzay , rocky and sandy stream in forest crossing Franceville-Moanda road , 468 m a.s.l., (1.6629 ° S 13.2916 ° E), 05-i- 2010, leg. K.- D.B. Dijkstra & C. Vanappelghem, RMNH .

Further material. GABON (Haut-Ogooué Province): 3 ♂, as holotype . 6 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.502581 ), 16 km SE of Moanda, “Africa No 1 ” radio station, Moyabi, Mabéngué Stream at Moyabi , swampy stream in rainforest, 484 m a.s.l. (1.6891 ° S 13.3230 ° E), 04-i- 2010, leg. K.- D.B. Dijkstra, N. Mézière & C. Vanappelghem, RMNH . 2 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.502444 , RMNH.INS.502446 ), “ Africa No 1 ” radio station, Moyabi , forest pool, 478 m a.s.l. (1.6890 ° S 13.3228 ° E), 18 -x- 2009, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 2 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.502434 , RMNH.INS.502453), “ Africa No 1 ” radio station, Madjaye , stream (2–4 m wide) with rock and gravel bottom, 462 m a.s.l. (1.6632 ° S 13.2915 ° E), 04- ix- 2009, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 1 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.554540 ), Bongoville-Léconi road, Boubou River, Ekala , sandy forest stream (1–2 m wide, 5–10cm deep), muddy edges ( Photo 52), 427 m a.s.l. (1.6133 ° S 13.9124 ° E), 09- xii- 2012, leg. N. Mézière & J. Lekogo, RMNH . 1 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.508765 ), Franceville-Akieni road, Viticulture road, Assiami , sandy forest stream with numerous adjacent springs, 462 m a.s.l. (1.4410 ° S 13.7975 ° E), 16 -ii- 2013, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH . 9 ♂, Moyabi , small sandy rainforest stream (Photo 6), 474 m a.s.l. (1.6857 ° S 13.3094 ° E), 24 -i- 2012, leg. A. Günther, CAGF . All same locality: 1 ♀ (seen in copula), 03-ii-2012, 2♂, 16 -ix- 2013, all leg .

A. Günther, CAGF. 11 ♂, 24 -i-2014 , 1♂, 16 -ix-2013 , 1♂, 24 -ix-2013 , 7♂, 26 -ix-2013 , 4♂, 01-x- 2013, all leg. J. Kipping, CJKL . 1 ♂, Bongoville-Léconi road, Ekala, stream Boubou , 393 m a.s.l. (1.6109 ° S 13.9105 ° E), 27 -i- 2012, leg. A. Günther, CAGF .

Genetics

Four unique haplotypes (n= 7) highly distinct from other family members.

Male morphological diagnosis

Similar to A. centripunctata ( Gambles, 1975) and A. lacuselephantum (Karsch, 1899) by the combination of (a) the largely blue labrum, anteclypeus and genae; (b) the all black tibiae; (c) the broad abdomen with the dorsa of S 9–10 largely black ( Fig. 2); and (d) the paraprocts that are half as long as the cerci. However, is (1) smaller, Hw 21–23 mm rather than 24 – 29 mm; and with maturity (2) the frons and occiput are largely pale blue, rather than with some greenish spots; (3) the dorsum of S 2–5 is red with weakly developed dark apical bars, S 6–8 either entirely violet-blue (Photo 3), orange-yellow ( Photo 4) or pink-red ( Photo 5), S 9 black except for the preceding colour at its extreme base, and S 10 entirely black ( Fig. 2), rather than the dorsum of S 2 and sometimes S 3 largely black and S 3–9 all at least with thick black apical bars; and (4) the ventral portion of the tergites is red marked increasingly with black terminally, from all-red S 2–5 to all-black S 8–10, rather than all segments appearing rather similar.

Etymology

Latin “of various colours” refers to the three male colour forms (adjective in nominative singular).

Range and ecology

Recorded between 425 and 485 m a.s.l. on the border of the sandy Batéké Plateau in south-eastern Gabon, which forms a transition from elevated grassland to lowland rainforest. The species inhabits small clear streams with a sandy bottom and much detritus in gallery forest or at forest edges. The blue male form is most common, the red and yellow forms being known only from the particularly large population at the type locality. Males with yellow, red and blue abdomen tips all behave territorially: they occupy similar small sunny patches along the stream, mostly perching on vegetation at a height of 0.5–2 m or engaging in threatening flights. A total of five matings were observed, all with red males and without courtship. It is not known if the generally discrete colour forms are developmental or genetic, nor what their behavioural function would be. An age-related colour change cannot be excluded, as A. lacuselephantum males appear to progress from blue through whitish and orange to red ( Pinhey 1971). That species also exhibits dramatic colour change in females: the almost wholly orange body blackens to leave only blue dorsal spots on the abdomen. Females of the new species are seen rarely, but can also be largely orange as well as blue. It seems they only come to the stream to mate and lay eggs, submerged up to 20 cm deep.

Figures

Photo 2. Sandy forest stream near Moyabi, Gabon. Habitat of Umma gumma, Paragomphus dispar and Trithemis legrandi. Photo: JK (24 - ix- 2013)