Paragomphus lemperti Dijkstra & Papazian

Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B., Kipping, Jens & Mézière, Nicolas, 2015, Sixty new dragonfly and damselfly species from Africa (Odonata), Odonatologica 44 (4), pp. 447-678 : 599-602

Paragomphus lemperti Dijkstra & Papazian sp. nov. – Lempert’s Hooktail

(Type Photo 41, Photo 54, Fig. 25)

Taxonomy

One of several Paragomphus species of open rivers and lakes with a green thorax and parallel cerci ( Fig. 25), listed as Paragomphus sp. nov. 1 by Lempert (1988). Morphologically and genetically it is nearest to P. elpidius (Ris, 1921) from eastern and southern Africa, and presumably also close to P.lacustris (Karsch, 1890) of Lake Tanganyika, but sufficiently distinct to be named as a new species.

Material studied

Holotype ♂. RMNH.INS.504530 , Liberia, Nimba County, West Nimba Proposed Forest Reserve, Yiti at camp south of Bentor, just before confluence with St John River , small river with forested rocky and open section with sandbanks ( Photo 54), 400 m a.s.l. (7.5165 ° N 8.7044 ° W), 27 -ii- 2012, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra & M. Darpay, RMNH .

Further material. LIBERIA (Nimba County): 1 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.504518 ), as holotype, RMNH . 1 ♀ ( RMNH.INS.506070 ), same locality, 08-iii- 2012, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra & M. Darpay, RMNH . SIERRA LEONE (Eastern Province): 2 ♂ ( RMNH.INS.503130 , RMNH.INS.503131 ), 1 ♀ ( RMNH.INS.503132 ), Gola Forest, Mogbai river upstream from Mogbaima , mostly gravelly and rocky (some sand) river in forest, 139 m a.s.l. (7.6596 ° N 10.7676 ° W), 03-iii- 2011, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra & A. Dayeker, RMNH . 1 larva ( RMNH.INS.503095 ), Gola Forest, Moro River (international border with Liberia, Gbarpolu County) south of Mogbaima and Money Camp , large riv- er with rocky and sandy sections and forested banks, 151 m a.s.l. (7.6479 ° N 10.7734 ° W), 28 -ii- 2011, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra & A. Dayeker, RMNH .

Genetics

Four unique haplotypes (n= 7) nearest to P. elpidius .

Male morphological diagnosis

Nearest to P. elpidius by (a) the moderate size, Hw 23.0–24.0 mm (n = 4); (b)the green frons, clypeus and labrum with only indistinct brown smudges; (c) the largely green thorax with quite reduced but distinct brown stripes that delimit green postdorsal and ante-humeral stripes; (d) the brown Pt that contrast weakly with their black veins; (e) the cerci that in dorsal view are parallel to each other to their end; (f) the cerci that in lateral view are strongly and evenly curved, like a walking cane, and terminate in thick blunt tips but lack the prominent ventral tooth of P. lacustris ; and (g) the epiproct that is only about a third as long as the cerci ( Fig. 25). Differs by (1) the thoracic stripes being straight and continuous, e.g., the green ante-humeral and metepisternal stripes and brown interpleural stripes extend uninterrupted between the leg and wing bases, whereas in P. elpidius they are often deadended or broken; (2) the foliations on S 8–9 are reduced, at most one quarter as deep as the segment is high, rather than over half; and (3) the curved section of the cerci is longer and more slender ( Fig. 25).

Etymology

Named in honour of Mr Jochen Lempert whose 1988 study of Liberian Odonata was one of the first to address tropical odonate ecology in detail and who first recognised this species as well as Eleuthemis umbrina sp. nov. (masculine singular genitive noun).

Range and ecology

Streams and rivers in Liberia and adjacent Sierra Leone. Lempert (1988) found the species on the Sinoe and Cavalla Rivers; the latter forms the bor- der with Côte d’Ivoire. All sites are rather open, although enclosed by rainforest, have large sandy sections, and lie between 100 and 400 m a.s.l.