Paragomphus cammaertsi 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 : 584-588

Paragomphus cammaertsi Dijkstra & Papazian sp. nov. – Cammaerts’s Hooktail

(Type Photo 37, Fig. 22)

Taxonomy

Dijkstra & Clausnitzer (2014) noted that the taxonomic problems in Paragomphus Cowley, 1934 reside largely among the species with truncat- ed diverging cerci, which they dubbed the cognatus -group, although not all related species may share this character (see P. clausnitzerorum sp. nov.). Cammaerts (1968) clarified the identity of P. cognatus (Rambur, 1842) and compared the holotypes of P. bredoi (Schouteden, 1934) , P. longiventris Fraser, 1955 and P. x a n t h u s Pinhey, 1966 that all originate from north-eastern Congo-Kinshasa and are kept in MRAC. He synonymised the first two but was hesitant to include the latter, although it matches well morphologically and its paler appearance is explained by its more teneral state. Similar males have been found in Gabon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone: the species thus ranges widely across central and western Africa, warranting re-examination of the Onychogomphus serrulatus Baumann, 1898 holotype from Togo in ZMHB, which was recognised as pertaining to Paragomphus by Erich Schmidt (in lit. 1943). This female has an occiput adorned with two series of six large denticles (hence the specific name) and markings like those of females associated with the P. bredoi and P. x a n t h u s holotypes, and we place all under the name P. serrulatus [new synonymies]. The species differs from the largely allopatric P. cognatus of eastern and southern Africa (but see Tree 6) by the (1) complete pale metepisternal stripe interrupted only in very dark specimens, rather than typically interrupted at least above metastigma and often broken up into three spots; (2) apical segment of the penis bearing a small but prominent dorsal hook on each side; (3) narrower tips of the cerci, with one prominent and often spine-like posterior tooth and several often indistinct anterior ones, rather than several coarse similarly-sized teeth ( Fig. 22); and (4) clearly longer than wide epiproct in ventral view, rather than almost as wide as long. By this definition, a similarly pale species that is almost topotypical with the P. serrulatus holotype, but has distinct markings and male appendages, although no genetic data, thus represents a new taxon.

Material studied

Holotype ♂. Ghana, Volta Region, Agumatsa River between Wli waterfalls and village , 340 m a.s.l. (7.1166 ° N 0.5833 ° E), 26 -iv- 2000, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH .

Further material. GHANA (Volta Region): 2 ♂ ♀, as holotype, leg. K.-D.B. Dijkstra, RMNH . NIGERIA (Kaduna Province): 1 ♂, hill stream near Kagoro , 995 m a.s.l. (9.5973 ° N 8.4014 ° E), 08-iii- 1962, leg. R.M. Gambles, BMNH . 1 ♂, Jemaa , 525 m a.s.l. (9.4596 ° N 8.3796 ° E), 23 -iv- 1962, leg. R.M. Gambles, BMNH . NIGERIA (Plateau Province): 1 ♂, Jal , 924 m a.s.l. (9.6634 ° N 8.6328 ° E), 25 -v- 1952, leg. R.M. Gambles, BMNH .

Genetics

No data available.

Male morphological diagnosis

Recalls P.cognatus and the potentially sympatric P.serrulatus by (a) the moderate size, Hw 22.5–23.5 mm (n= 3) and rather intermediate extent of dark markings, with the (b) pale occiput and narrowly black-edged and -based labrum contrasting with the largely dark vertex, antefrons and postclypeus; (c) ante-humeral and metepisternal stripes almost as prominent as the oth- er pale thoracic markings; and (d) S 3–6 laterally pale over much of their length; as well as (e) apices of the cerci that diverge in dorsal view ( Fig. 22). However, (1) the pale ante-humeral and metepistermal markings consist of a stripe and a separate dorsal spot, while typically in P. serrulatus they form complete stripes and in P. cognatus they are broken up into three spots; (2)the black S 8–10 and appendages are marked laterally with some reddish brown, rather than being contrastingly marked with yellow at least on the appendages; (3) the appendages are short, the cerci being less than twice as long as S 10 and the epiproct about half as long S 10, rather than at least twice and just as long respectively, thus being intermediate between P. nyasicus Kimmins, 1955 ( Fig. 25) and P. crenigomphoides Clausnitzer & Dijkstra, 2005 ( Fig. 22); and (4) the curved section of the cerci is notably short and sharply bent in lateral view, with thick and rounded tips with 6–7 rather in- distinct teeth, rather than square-ended with quite distinct and well-spaced teeth ( Fig. 22).

Etymology

Named in honour of Dr Roger Cammaerts who made great contributions to gomphid taxonomy and first recognised this species (in lit.) in BMNH (masculine singular genitive noun).

Range and ecology

Known between 340 and 995 m a.s.l. from hilly regions in the transition from rainforest to humid savannah in Ghana and Nigeria; in Ghana found by a rocky stream at the base of a waterfall in a forested gorge.