Chlorogomphus papilio Ris, 1927

Zhang, Haomiao & Tong, Xiaoli, 2013, Descriptions of the final instar larvae of seven Chinese Chlorogomphidae species, with taxonomic notes on adults (Odonata: Anisoptera), Zootaxa 3620 (2), pp. 223-244 : 230

Chlorogomphus papilio Ris, 1927

Figures 17–25 , 52 .

Chlorogomphus papilio Ris, 1927: 103 -105, fig. 1; Needham, 1930: 95–96, pl.10, figs. 4, 4a, 4b; Chen, 1950: 138, 144, 146–147, figs 1, 13; Yang & Davies, 1996: 284; Wilson, 2005: 112, 167.

Aurorachlorus papilio : Carle, 1995: 391; Chao, 1999: 4.

Chlorogomphus (Aurorachlorus) papilio: Wilson, 2002: 66 –67, figs. 1–10; Zhang & Tong, 2010: 342–343.

Material examined. final stage larva: 13, 07.X.2009, Nanling National Nature Reserve (24°55ʹ42ʺN, 113°01ʹ02ʺE), Guangdong Province, China, Haomiao Zhang leg.; 3 smaller larvae, 24.IX.2010, Chebaling National Nature Reserve (24°42ʹ11ʺN, 114°11ʹ13ʺE), Guangdong Province, China, Haomiao Zhang leg. 13 1Ƥ and their exuviae, same data, emerged on 22.V.2010.

Large chlorogomphid larva with ground color earth yellow.

Head Light brown without spots. Upper surface without conspicuous longitudinal central prominence ( Fig. 21 ). Labrum and clypeus rectangular; mandibles as in Figs. 17–18 . Mandibular formula:

Left mandible with 5 rounded molar crest, a complanate, b fused with base of crest and obtuse, a> b; incisors pointed, 4>3>2>1>2’, 2’ located in cleft between 1 and 2; right mandible without molar crest, a and b pointed, a> b; incisors 2, 3 and 4 pointed, 1 rounded, 4>1>3>2, additional tooth y present on right mandible. Labial mask as in Fig. 19 . Premental setae 4+1+1+2/2+1+1+4. Distal process as in Fig. 20 , apex of each lobe strongly pointed outward.

Thorax Light brown with long hair-like setae, almost as broad as width of head. Pronotum strongly developed; wing pads broad and strongly divergent, brown in color, reaching posterior margin of S5. femora and tibiae yellowish with dark brown stripes submedially.

Abdomen Very broad, pale yellow with abundant brown spots; S1–4 with a pair of small black dorsal spots, S5–8 with two pairs of irregular black dorsal spots, S9–10 largely brown with central yellow spot. Lower side of S2–10 brown. Caudal appendages brown.

Measurements (mm). Total length 43.0, head width 10.0, hindwing length 12.0, width 5.0, hind femur 8.0, prementum length 8.5, width 8.0.

Distribution. China (Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunan, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, Guangxi and Guangdong) and North Vietnam.

Remarks. The following characters can well separate this larva from others: 1) head conspicuously narrower than abdomen; 2) wing pads extremely large and broad; 3) prementum rather long and narrow, its distal bifid lobes strongly elongated, with sharply pointed apex. The larvae withdraw their legs and feign death when out of water, with abdomen curved upward, similar to the behavior of some aeshnid larvae. The population density of larvae is very low.

Males of C. papilio can travel miles to find a mate (personal observation by the first author). They appear on both sunny and cloudy days, patrolling along open shallow or rocky streams. Females oviposit in the edge of these streams, even on rainy days. The wing base of both sexes possess large brown and white spots which are more developed in females ( Figs. 22–25 ). These brown and white spots can be very variable, some individuals with broader white spots ( Figs. 23–24 ), and in males the white spots change to yellow with age. The species is widespread in South and Southwest China, the flight period from May to September.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 21. Larva of Chlorogomphus papilio: (17) right mandible; (18) left mandible; (19) prementum, dorsal view; (20) bifid branches of frontal margin of prementum; (21) frontal shelf, dorsal view.

FIGURES 22 – 25. Adults of Chlorogomphus papilio: (22) male; (23) male hing wing base; (24) same; (25) female.

FIGURES 50 – 53. Larvae of Chlorogomphidae: (50) Chlorogomphus kitawakii; (51) Chlorogomphus nasutus nasutus; (52) Chlorogomphus papilio; (53) Chlorogomphus shanicus.