Lestes minutus Selys, 1862

Mendoza-Penagos, Cristian Camilo, Pérez-Gutiérrez, León A. & Muzón, Javier, 2024, A revision of Lestidae Calvert, 1901 (Odonata: Zygoptera) from Colombia, with the first record of Lestes dichrostigma Calvert, 1909, Zootaxa 5415 (2), pp. 201-240 : 233

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5415.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:859C14F9-FC21-4076-A212-3B4B6E35E8B7
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10707624
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D88059-FF63-FFBA-8FA1-7C7066F6568C
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Lestes minutus Selys, 1862
status

Treatment

Lestes minutus Selys, 1862 View in CoL

Fig.5C–D View FIGURE 5 (♁ and ♀ head), Fig.8G–I View FIGURE 8 (♁pterothorax), Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 G’–I’(♁ teneral pterothorax), Fig. 9O–P View FIGURE 9 (♁ genital ligula), Fig.11M–N View FIGURE 11 (♁ caudal appendages), Fig. 13G–I View FIGURE 13 (♀ pterothorax), Fig. 14G View FIGURE 14 (♀ ovipositor), Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 (distribution).

Etymology: mînűtus Latin for minute, small.

Type locality: Brasil .

Distribution: Argentina, Brazil; Colombia (Guainía, Meta); Surinam.

Female described: Yes Larva described: No

Altitudinal range: 95–392 m IUCN status: LC— Lozano (2021)

Records in previous references: Bota-Sierra (2014a), Aristizabal-Botero et al. (2022)

Material examined: (12♁♁, 2♀♀). Colombia, Meta, Corocora , 4.0651N, 73.5911W, 392 m, from Dec- 2014 to Jan-2015, L. Pérez, J. Montes leg., 1♁ ( UARC) GoogleMaps ; Puerto Gaitán, Manacacías , 3.8051N, 72.2871W, 152 m, from Dec-2014 to Jan-2015, L. Pérez, J. Montes leg., 4♁♁, 1♀ ( UARC) GoogleMaps ; Guainía, Inírida, Comunidad Venado , 3.4465N, 67.9873W, 94 m, 30-6-2015, A. Aristizabal, E. Realpe, J. Sierra, P. Sarmiento leg., 4♁♁, 1♀ ( ANDES-E 21540–21544 ) GoogleMaps ; as the previous but, vía Guamal, finca Lo que Dios me dio, 3.8681N, 67.9099W, 96 m, 7-7-2015, A. Aristizabal leg., 1♁ ( ANDES-E 23241 ) GoogleMaps ; Meta, San Martin, reserva Rey Zamuro , 3.5551N, 73.3511W, 265 m, 08-06-2014, C. Moreno leg., 2♁♁ ( CEUA 81490 ) GoogleMaps .

Morphological characteristics (male): head epicranium dark brown; labrum, clypeus, and mandibles pale blue ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ). Pterothorax blue, pruinescent, with a wide black antehumeral stripe almost reaching middorsal carina (blue) ( Fig. 8G View FIGURE 8 ); black stripe occupying superior 0,5 of mesinfraepsiternum and mesepimeron to mesopleural fossa; metepisternum and metepimeron yellowish and pruinescent ( Fig. 8H View FIGURE 8 ); pectum mostly black ( Fig. 8I View FIGURE 8 ). Male teneral pterothorax ochre, black pattern less defined, particularly pectum with a couple of black ovoid dots adjacent to the metathoracic suture and two subtriangular black spots on metepisternum ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 G’–I’). Genital ligula subrectangular; inner fold well-developed, reaching distal lobe of anterior lobe of distal segment ( Fig. 9 O–P View FIGURE 9 ). Cerci long, with a strong basal tooth projected distally at 45°, medial portion convex with a row of denticles, primary curvature type I, secondary curvature type I ( Fig. 11 M–N View FIGURE 11 ). Apophyses of paraprocts almost 2/3 of cerci length, apices straight, lightly expanded ( Fig. 11M View FIGURE 11 ).

Female head color pattern as male, except for irregular pale pattern in the posterior margin ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ); pterothorax color pattern as male teneral, except for posternum entirely black ( Fig. 13G–I View FIGURE 13 ). Lateral valves of the ovipositor with a row of small denticles that increase in size from the base to the apex; dorsal side of basal plate ends in an acute spine ( Fig. 14G View FIGURE 14 ).

Remarks: this is the smallest neotropical Lestidae (total length <32 mm). Despite its wide distribution, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Surinam, known localities are scattered ( Lozano 2021). In Colombia, this species was recorded in few localities from the Amazon and the Orinoco regions ( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 ). Two color forms were observed in males: one black and blue ( Fig. 8G–I View FIGURE 8 ), and other ochre, similar to female coloration ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 G’–I’). These striking variations in coloration may be attributed to ontogenetic changes (mature vs teneral) or postmortem effects.