Agriocnemis toto Dijkstra

Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B., Kipping, Jens & Mézière, Nicolas, 2015, Sixty new dragonfly and damselfly species from Africa (Odonata), Odonatologica 44 (4), pp. 447-678 : 502-504

Agriocnemis toto Dijkstra sp. nov. – Toto’s Wisp (Type Photo 14, Fig. 9)

Taxonomy

Superficially like A. falcifera Pinhey, 1959 or A. pinheyi Balinsky, 1963 , but genetically closer to but distinct from A. maclachlani Selys, 1877 : male appendages render it unmistakeable.

Material studied

Holotype ♂. RMNH.INS.559527 , Angola, Uíge Province, 4 km NE of Negage, Canuango River, wet depression with reeds near blackwater river, 1229 m a.s.l. (7.7338 ° S 15.2837 ° E), 02-x- 2013, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH . Further material. 2 ♀ ( RMNH.INS.559520 , RMNH.INS.559524 ), as holotype .

Genetics

One unique haplotype (n = 3) nearest to but well-differentiated from A.maclachlani , which requires revision as it includes A. angustirami Pinhey, 1974 and at least two distinct groups, one of which may refer to A. aligulae Pinhey, 1974 that was synonymised with A. maclachlani by D’Andrea & Carfi (1997).

Male morphological diagnosis

Similar to many African Agriocnemis species with its (a) moderate size, Hw 12.0 mm (n = 1); (b) all-black labrum and postclypeus with metallic purple and blue shine respectively; (c) pronotal hindlobe divided into two small rounded lateral lobes and one larger fanlike central section; (d) all Pt pale brown; and (e) S 8–10 orange. However, the appendages are distinctive with structure nearest to A. falcifera and A. pinheyi , but proportions like A. gratiosa Gerstäcker, 1891 and A. inversa Karsch, 1899 , with (1) the distal border of S 10 slightly raised medio-dorsally; (2) the cerci about as long as S 10 and the paraprocts about 1.5 times as long; (3) the cerci falcate and hollowed out apically, like A. falcifera , A. pinheyi and A. stygia Fraser, 1954 but much sleeker, with the ventral process exceptionally long and narrow, extending down to reach between the paraprocts; and (4) the paraprocts triangular, i.e., wide at base and tapering distally like A. falcifera , with horizontally flattened tips terminating in a transverse black ridge recalling A.maclachlani ( Fig. 9).

Etymology

Named in honour of Alvaro Bruno Toto Nienguesso, the driving force behind biodiversity research in Uíge Province, Angola (noun in apposition).

Range and ecology

Only known from the type locality in northern Angola, just 400 m from that of A. canuango sp. nov., which is a similar boggy depression on a grassy sandy plateau at 1 225 m a.s.l. but probably drier seasonally and with taller and denser reed-like vegetation.