Chloropetalia soarer Wilson, 2002

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 : 239

Chloropetalia soarer Wilson, 2002

Figures 45–49 , 59 .

Material examined. 14 final stage larvae, 08.X.2009, Nanling National Nature Reserve (24°55ʹ42ʺN, 113°01ʹ02ʺE), Guangdong Province, China, Haomiao Zhang leg.; 1Ƥ and its exuvia, same data, emerged on 30.X.2009.

Medium-sized chlorogomphid larva with ground color yellowish white with black maculation and entire body surface crowded with very fine setae.

Head Labrum and clypeus yellowish white; clypeus with brown spots centrally. Frontal shelf as in Fig. 49 , mandibles as in Figs. 45–46 .

Mandibular formula:

Left mandible with 6 rounded molar crest, a complanate, b rounded, a> b; teeth of the incisors pointed, 4>3>2>1>2’, 2’ located in the cleft between 1 and 2; right mandible without molar crest, a and b pointed, a> b; teeth of the incisors pointed, 4>1>3>2, additional tooth y present on right mandible; labial mask as in Fig. 47 . Premental setae 5+3/3+5. Each lobe of distal bifid process semicircular ( Fig. 48 ).

Thorax Yellowish white with long hair-like setae. Pronotum strongly developed, sides of synthorax slightly tinted with black; wing pads strongly divergent, black, reaching middle of S5; femora and tibiae yellowish with black stripes submedially.

Abdomen S1–4 with pair of small black spots centrally and pair of black spots laterally; S5–10 with pair of black crescent-shaped spots centrally and pair of small black spots laterally; lower sides of S9–10 black. Caudal appendages yellowish white, darkened at the apex.

Measurements (mm). Total length 38.0–39.0, head width 8.5–9.0, hind wing length 9.5–10.0, width 4.0, hind femur 6.5–7.0, prementum length 7.5, width 8.0.

Distribution. China (Hunan and Guangdong).

Remarks. This is a very poorly known species, originally known from Guangdong province. Some youngerstage larvae were found on Mt. Mangshan, Hunan Province, which is connected with the Nanling National Nature Reserve. The larvae were abundant in several montane streams in the well-vegetated forest in Babaoshan. Many final-stage larvae were collected in October, indicating their emergence starting from early spring. Their ground color is mostly white with darkened wing pads that are usually black. Some individuals possess large orange spots on the head, pronotum and distal abdominal segments. The larvae can be separated from Chlorogomphus larvae by the semicircular lobe of the bifid distal prementum, lacking the pointed apex found in Chlorogomphus larvae. The larva is similar to the larva of Watanabeopetalia usignata (Chao, 1999) from Guizhou Province (Zhang and Tong 2010) but can be separated by the following characters:

1) In C. soarer , S5 and S6 have very well-developed black spots, connecting at the dorsal carina to form very broad central black bands. In W. usignata , S5 and S6 have a pair of small black spots separated by the dorsal carina.

2) C. soarer has 5 long outer premental setae and 3 short inner ones, while in W. usignata there are 6 long outer setae and 3 short inner ones. Five of the long setae, from the first to the fifth, are very close and the sixth is separated from the others.

Figures

FIGURES 45 – 49. Larva of Chloropetalia soarer: (45) right mandible; (46) left mandible; (47) prementum, dorsal view; (48) bifid branches of frontal margin of prementum; (49) frontal shelf, dorsal view.

FIGURES 54 – 59. Larvae of Chlorogomphidae: (54) Chlorogomphus usudai; (55 – 58) Chlorogomphus yokoii; (59) Chloropetalia soarer.