Lestinogomphus calcaratus Dijkstra

Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra, Jens Kipping & Nicolas Mézière, 2015, Sixty new dragonfly and dasmelfly species from Africa (Odonata), Odontologica 44, pp. 447-678 : 552-556

Lestinogomphus calcaratus Dijkstra sp. nov. – Spurred Fairytail (Type Photo 27, Photo 41, Figs 16, 17)

Taxonomy

Lestinogomphus Martin, 1912 is among the few African genera where unnamed species may outnumber named ones. The taxonomy is complicated by imperfect type material, e.g., the male holotype of L. africanus (Fraser, 1926) lacks S4–10 and the holotype of L. minutus Gambles, 1968 is female. COI analysis, often of more easily obtained larvae and adult females, revealed distinct clusters that we name if good adult male material with distinct appendage morphology is available ( Tree 5). Nonetheless females may prove critical in resolving the taxonomy: those associated (often genetically) with L. congoensis Cammaerts, 1969 , L. minutus and the present new species have two prominent spines medially on the occiput, which L.angustus , L.nefrens sp. nov., L. obtusus sp. nov. and the species associated with L. africanus (see L. nefrens ) lack. Dijkstra (2007) suggested that the female holotype of Microgomphus bivittatus Pinhey, 1961 also belongs to Lestinogomphus based on the thoracic markings and stretched S10, as illustrated by Pinhey (1961c). However, in Lestinogomphus the collar spots are typically not isolated but connected and continue up the middorsal ridge, while S10 is even longer, lacking the slight dorsal kink illustrated. These features, as well as the illustrated vulvar scale, match the poorly known genus Mastigogomphus Cammaerts, 2004 that was formerly a subgenus of Neurogomphus Karsch, 1890 (see Dijkstra & Clausnitzer 2014). As Pinhey’s figure matches that of the M. chapini (Klots, 1944) holotype by Cammaerts (2004; fig. 40e) almost perfectly, and that species is also geographically most proximate, it seems most practical to relegate it to synonymy with that [new synonymy].

Material studied

Holotype ♂. RMNH.INS.508420, Angola, Uíge Province, 4 km NE of Negage, Canuango river and bog, small blackwater river with sections in palm swamp and others with open marshy borders, and adjacent boggy areas, 1 225 m a.s.l. (7.7351°S 15.2887°E), 29-xi-2012, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH.

Further material. ANGOLA (Uíge Province): 1♂ (RMNH.INS.559535), locality as holotype, 02-x-2013, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH. 1♂ (RMNH. INS.559491), 6 km N of Quitexe, Lumanie river just E of Quitexe-Uíge road, sandy and rocky river with bushy and reedy banks ( Photo 41), 686m a.s.l. (7.8882°S 15.0434°E), 30-ix-2013, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH. 1♀ (RMNH.INS.559505), 8 km N of Quitexe, Lumanie river (tributary of Loge) near Quitoque, just E of Quitexe-Uíge road, forested sandy and stony riv- er in farmbush, 677 m a.s.l. (7.8654°S 15.0450°E), 30-ix-2013, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH. 1♀ (RMNH.INS.508362), 14 km WSW of Uíge, Loge valley, Loge river and two side streams, large murky river and two clear streams in degraded lowland rainforest, 602 m a.s.l. (7.6701°S 14.9381°E), 22-xi- -2012, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH. CONGO-KINSHASA ( Katanga ): 1 lar- va (RMNH.INS.505417), Kiubo, Lufira (large, Kiubo Falls) and Luvilombo (small, rocky) rivers, and adjacent flooded areas, gallery forest and degrad- ed miombo woodland, 840–880 m a.s.l (9.52°S 27.05°E), 08-xi-2011, leg. K.- D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH. GABON (Haut-Ogoué): 1♀ (RMNH.INS.554413), Franceville-Okondja road, 2 km before Okila, muddy and gravelly (4 m wide, <50 cm deep) forest stream, 364 m a.s.l. (1.0789°S 13.5669°E), 27- -ix-2012, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH. 1♀ (RMNH.INS.508894), same locality, 14-x-2013, leg. N. Mézière, RMNH. TANZANIA (Kigoma Region): 1 larva (RMNH.INS.502900), Malagarasi river 6 km upstream of Ilagala, 775 m a.s.l. (5.2010°S 29.9008°E), 14-viii-2009, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH.

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Genetics

Six unique haplotypes (n = 9) nearest to L. congoensis , but confirmed L. angustus and the somewhat similar L. silkeae Kipping, 2006 were not sampled ( Tree 5).

Male morphological diagnosis

Very small dragonfly (Hw 19.0–20.0 mm; n = 2) that recalls L. angustus Martin, 1912 by (a) the pair of large teeth near the base of the epiproct dorsum ( Fig. 16). However, (1) is much darker overall, with a black band on the fronto-clypeal suture and a thick black rim to the labrum, the pale area on the collar not extending posteriorly of the middorsal tooth, the humeral and interpleural black stripes thick and enclosing a narrow green stripe, the metapleural black stripe also thick, and the tibiae black without pale streaks ( Fig. 17); (2) the distal border of the posterior hamule is shallowly notched, rather than almost straight; (3) S10 is shorter, its dorsal length is 1.4–1.7× its apical height, rather than 1.7–2.2×; (4) the curved portions of the cerci bear a small external lobe subapically; and (5) the subbasal teeth of the epiproct have a narrower base, thus appearing sharper and leaning into S10 ( Fig. 16).

Etymology

Latin “with spurs” refers to the prominent spines on the epiproct (masculine adjective).

Range and ecology

The type material is from northern Angola, but females from Gabon and larvae from Katanga and western Tanzania are genetically similar and thus likely to belong to the same species ( Tree 5). On this basis, appears to favour fairly open streams and rivers bordered by bushes and trees between 350 and 1 250 m a.s.l.