New species of the damselfly genus Argia from Mexico, Central America and Ecuador with an emphasis on Costa Rica (Insecta: Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
Author
Garrison, Rosser W.
Author
Ellenrieder, Natalia Von
text
Zootaxa
2017
4235
1
1
93
journal article
36483
10.5281/zenodo.322062
29139646-2af5-4d4f-a7a4-b03c54cb4af8
1175-5326
322062
AEA565CC-1A14-4987-977A-1C269B0FE2A8
Argia carolus
Garrison & von Ellenrieder
,
n. sp.
Figs. 24
(head, thorax, S1–
4 ♂
); 47–49 (head, thorax, S1–
4 ♀
); 73 (S7–
10 ♂
); 96–98 (S7–
10 ♀
); 119 (mesostigmal plates
♀
); 138 (genital ligula); 158 (appendages
♂
); 169 (map); 184 (field picture of
♂
); 185 (field picture of
♀
);
Table 4
(measurements).
Etymology
. Named
carolus
(to be treated as an indeclinable noun) in honor of our friend and colleague Carlos 'Carolus' Esquivel
Heredia
, in recognition to his valuable contributions to the knowledge of
Costa
Rican odonates and his kind help and camaraderie during our studies in that country.
Specimens examined
. 49 ♂, 7 ♀.
Types
.
Holotype
♂
:
COSTA RICA
,
San José
Prov.:
Reserva Biológica El Rodeo
,
7 km
W of Villa Colón
(
9°54' N
,
84°16' W
,
795 m
),
10–13 vii 1990
, TWD leg. [
FSCA
]
.
Paratypes
:
COSTA RICA
,
Puntarenas
Prov.
:
1 ♂
,
La Guaria
,
8 km
SSW of
Santa Elena
on road to
Interamerican
highway,
Quebrada Guaria
, small side flood channel (
10°14'55'' N
,
84°50'52'' W
,
597 m
),
4 viii 2006
, WAH &
E. Cruz
leg. [RWG]
;
1 ♂
,
Río Cataratas
at
Pan-American
highway (
9°5'29'' N
,
83°16'14'' W
,
160 m
),
8 iii 2009
,
F. C. Sibley
leg. [RWG]
;
1 ♂
,
Golfito
,
Gamba
(
8°42'11'' N
,
83°11'15'' W
,
80 m
),
ii 2007
,
S. Schneeweihs
&
F. Hofhansl
leg. [CEH]
;
2 ♂
, forest interior W of
Gamba
(
8°42'7'' N
,
83°10'47'' W
,
200 m
),
xii 2015
,
S. Degenhart
leg. [RWG]
;
1 ♀
, same data but (
8°41'2'' N
,
83°10'51'' W
,
130 m
),
i 2016
,
S. Degenhart
leg. [RWG]
;
1 ♂
, same data but
xii 2015
[
CSCA
]
;
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
, same data but (
8°41'8'' N
,
83°10'48'' W
) [SD]
;
3 ♂
same data but [RWG]
;
1 ♂
, same data but [
CSCA
]
;
3 ♂
, same data but (
8°42'5'' N
,
83°12'46'' W
,
115 m
) [RWG]
;
1 ♂
, same data but [
CSCA
]
;
3 ♂
, same data but (
8°41'16'' N
,
83°10'49'' W
,
115 m
) [RWG]
;
1 ♂
, same data but [SD]
;
2 ♂
, same data but (
8°41'46'' N
,
83°12'20'' W
,
120 m
) [RWG]
;
1 ♂
, same data but [SD]
;
1 ♂
, same data but (
8°40'37'' N
,
83°11'59'' W
,
110 m
) [RWG]
;
1 ♂
, same data but (
8°40'22'' N
,
83°12'6'' W
,
100 m
) [SD]
;
1 ♂
, same data but (
8°40'20'' N
,
83°11'58'' W
,
120 m
) [SD]
;
3 ♂
same data but [RWG]
;
1 ♂
same data but [
CSCA
]
;
1 ♂
,
Corcovado National Park
,
Piedra el Arco
(
8°34'34'' N
,
83°41'42'' W
,
20 m
),
10–11 iv 1989
,
Holzenthal
&
Blahnik
leg. [RWG];
Alajuela
Prov.
:
1 ♂
,
Río Quebrada Honda
,
San Mateo
{
9°56' N
,
84°31' W
,
290 m
},
6 iii 1987
,
J. Belle
leg. [RWG]
;
1 ♂
,
Bonnefil Farm
,
Río Surubres
(
9°56' N
,
84°31' W
,
147 m
),
16 x 1909
,
P. P. Calvert
leg. [RWG]
;
1 ♂
,
1 ♀
, same data but [
UMMZ
];
San José
Prov.
:
1 ♂
,
Hacienda El Rodeo
,
7 km
W of Ciudad
Colón
(
9°54'49'' N
,
84°16'10'' W
,
859 m
),
17 vii 1990
, CEH leg. [CEH]
;
1 ♀
, same data but
10–13 vii 1990
, TWD leg. [
FSCA
]
;
3 ♂
,
1 ♀
, same data but
28 v 2013
,
N. von Ellenrieder
& RWG leg. [
CSCA
]
;
4 ♂
, same data but [RWG]
;
1 ♀
,
4 km
S of Tinamaste
,
Río Diamantes
(
9°15'44'' N
,
83°46'53'' W
,
520 m
),
7 iii 2009
,
F. C. Sibley
leg. [RWG]
;
5 ♂
, same data but
F. C. Sibley
leg. [
FSCA
]
;
2 ♂
,
1 ♀
, same data but WAH &
F. C. Sibley
leg. [RWG];
Cartago
Prov.
:
1 ♂
,
Estación de Biología Tropical
Río Macho
, on trail in secondary forest along
Río Juco
(
9°46'1'' N
,
83°51'45'' W
,
1,590 m
),
13 ix 1990
, CEH leg. [CEH].
A medium-sized largely dark species with forcipate male appendages (
Fig. 158
).
Description of male
holotype
. Head: entirely black with following parts pale (purple): labrum, base of mandibles, genae, anteclypeus, postfrons, postocular spots and small pale spot anterolateral to lateral ocellus; antennae black, rear of head black except for pale narrow margin bordering eye margin (similar to
Fig 24
).
Prothorax black with following areas pale: anterior lobe, dorsolateral spot on middle lobe, lateral 0.30 of posterior margin of propleuron. Pale areas of pterothorax purple, with broad black middorsal stripe about four times as wide as pale antehumeral stripe, the latter gradually narrowing dorsally to about 0.50 width of base; black humeral stripe extending from anterior 0.80 base of mesinfraepisternum and narrowing above to about 0.50 of basal width, slightly emarginate posteriorly at mesopleural fossa and connecting narrowly below antealar crest with middorsal stripe above and with a short ventrally directed finger on dorsal portion of obsolete interpleural suture; metapleural suture with a narrow elongate black spot at metapleural fossa; posterior carina of metepimeron narrowly rimmed with black; pale colors on side of thorax purple. Wings hyaline with venation black; pterostigma dark brown, surmounting 1.5 cells in all wings; postnodals Fw 17/17, Hw 15/15; postquadrangular cells Fw 4/4, Hw 4/4; RP2 at Fw 8/8, Hw 7/7. Coxae and trochanters black with a wash of brown medially; femora, tibiae, tarsi and armature black.
Abdomen (as in
Figs. 24
; 73; 184) mostly black; S1 with a black basal ring, remainder purple; S2 black with an incomplete pale (purple) dorsal campanulate spot occupying basal 0.60 of segment, laterally black with an indistinct pale lateral stripe; S3 black except for narrow basal ring extended dorsally into a point ending at basal 0.20 of segment; S4 similar to S3 but with only a narrow pale basal ring; S5 with an obscure pale lateral spot basally; S6–8 entirely black; S9–10 blue dorsolaterally and ventrally black; S10 black; torus pale, appendages black.
Genital ligula (
Fig. 138
), ending in a pair of flexible curved distal flagella strongly arching basally before uniting in a common stem that is partly covered by a broad, quadrate ectal hood (
Fig. 138
a); ental surface of genital ligula distal to flexure smooth (
Fig. 138
c); latero-basal portion of apical segment with an acute sclerotized lobe laterally, its tip ending just before flexure; inner fold present, sclerotized portion proximal to flexure lacking a microspinulate patch on ental surface on each side.
Torus narrow, transversely oval, swollen ventrally, occupying ventral half of torifer and not overlapping bilobed epiproct (
Fig. 158
c); area around epiproct black; epiproct black except for small pale medial lobe and margin of lateral lobes; cercus (
Figs. 158
a, c) about three times longer than wide, narrowing distally abruptly at distal third, extending beyond paraproct, divided apically into a small bluntly triangular lobe and meeting longer linear branch at about a right angle; inner branch long forming slightly inflated capitate glabrous tooth; medial margin slightly concave apically, convex basally, planate dorsomedially; paraproct (
Fig. 158
b) bilobed, its ventral branch subequal to upper branch, ventral branch triangular, its tip acute; upper branch a rounded lobe.
Dimensions
. Hw 23.7, abdomen 31.2, total length 39.7.
Description of female
paratype
(
Costa
Rica
:
San José
Prov.,
4 km
S of Tinamaste, Río Diamantes). Head, pro-, pterothorax and S1–2 as in male (
Fig. 49
) but pale colors orange brown; black humeral stripe more deeply divided at distal 0.30, the anterior (main) fork narrow and enlarged at mesopleural sulcus; pale dorsal campanulate spot smaller than in
holotype
; S3 with incomplete narrow pale basal ring; S4–7 entirely black; S8 black with blue distal spot occupying apical 0.50 with narrowing offshoot extending anteriorly to basal 0.30; S9 black with posterior 0.50 blue extending laterally and projecting anteriorly to basal 0.30; S10 blue dorsally, black ventrally, cerci and ovipositor black (
Fig. 98
).
Mesostigmal lobe as in
Fig. 119
, well developed but small, forming a flat, medially directed digit-like lobe elevated above depressed area on mesepisternum and not overlying branch of middorsal carina; base of lobe in dorsal (as in
Figs. 119
c, d) and anterior (as in
Figs. 119
a, b) views slightly swollen anteriorly, accompanied by a weak transverse carina; distal base of lobe slightly angulate posteriorly, thus setting off lobe from rest of mesostigmal plate; in posterior view (as in
Fig. 119
e) lobe thickened externally but lacking a tubercle at juncture with mesepisternum; a small mesepisternal tubercle present at latero-basal margin of mesostigmal lobe.
Variation in
paratypes
. Variation exists in extent of thoracic and abdominal markings as well as pale color. Fully adult male in life is a dark olive purple which turns almost black in preserved material, even if properly acetoned. Fully adult male often dusted with white pruinosity on sides of thorax especially on metathorax; black humeral stripe in most males as in
Fig. 24
but in one male (Hacienda El Rodeo), the stripe is not forked, and it gradually narrows above to about the thickness of the metapleural stripe; another male (Hacienda El Rodeo) similar to that in
Fig. 47
. In contrast to male, female varies in pale thoracic coloration from orange brown (
Figs. 47, 49
) to dark olive green (
Fig. 48
) to purplish (
Fig. 185
) as well as development of black humeral stripe. Pale spots on S8– 10 vary in size and reduction as shown in
Figs. 96, 97
. Some females lack a carina at anterior base of mesostigmal lobe but distal base of lobe slightly angulate posteriorly thus setting of lobe from rest of mesostigmal plate. Pterostigma surmounting 1–2 cell in males,
1–1.5 in
females; postnodals: Fw 14–17, Hw
13–15 in
males, Fw 14– 16, Hw
12–14 in
females; postquadrangular cells Fw 4, Hw
3–4 in
males and females; RP2 at Fw 7–8, Hw
6–7 in
males and females.
Dimensions
.
♂
: Hw 22.2 ± 1.11 [20.8–23.9], abdomen 29.8 ± 1.43 [27.6–32.1], total length 38.5 ± 1.8 [35.8–41.5].
♀
: Hw 21.8 ± 2.3 [18.5–24.7], abdomen 26.5 ± 2.3 [23.3–29.3], total length 34.9 ± 3.3 [30.5–38.5].
Diagnosis
. Male unique by elongate forcipate shape of cercus (
Fig 158
a). No other species within its range is similar.
Argia schneideri
(
Fig. 159
) also has a forcipate cercus but it is longer, extends beyond the level of the paraproct and it lacks the accessory lobe along the distal margin at the distal fourth of the appendage. The genital ligula of
A. schneideri
(
Fig. 139
) consists of a long single flagellum instead of the pair present in
A. carolus
(
Fig. 138
), and the former species also lacks the large quadrate hood and aciculate recurved lateral lobes present in
A. carolus
. In the female, the small, mesally directed mesostigmal lobe accompanied by a swollen base and slightly angulate external base is distinctive. The lobe is similar to that of
A. schneideri
(
Fig. 120
) but is considerably smaller, about two-thirds the size of that of
A. carolus
. In both sexes of
A. schneideri
, the black humeral stripe is not forked or encompasses a small pale isolated spot just below the alar carina (
Figs. 25
,
50
); in
A. carolus
, a forked humeral stripe of varying height and condition is usually present (
Figs. 24
,
47–49
).
Habitat
. We collected a few specimens of this dark species at a small, partially shaded, moderately flowing rocky stream at Hacienda El Rodeo on
28 May 2013
. Part of the stream was exposed due to clearing of vegetation.
Argia carolus
was collected at the stream where it entered the shady undisturbed forest. Adults were inconspicuous due to their overall dark color. Other species collected here included
Argia anceps
,
A. cupraurea
(one female in tandem with a male of
A. oenea
),
A. frequentula
Calvert
,
A. oculata
Hagen
in
Selys
,
A. oenea
and
A. rogersi
Calvert. Haber and Sibley
describe the Río Diamantes as a "stream with small and large rocks, about
5 m
across". They noted the following for the female: "Tandem at 11:01 with 5909 [male]. Flew up from riffle area with collected mats of dead vegetable debris; apparently ovipositing." At the Río Cataratas, Sibley found this species to be "Fairly common along fast flowing, rocky stream through forest." Specimens were taken at elevations ranging from about
20 m
(Parque Nacional Corcovado) to about
1,600 m
(Estación de Biología Tropical Río Macho). Flight dates range from March (Río Diamantes) through September (Estación de Biología Tropical Río Macho).
Distribution
.
Argia carolus
seems to be endemic to the Pacific slope of
Costa
Rica
. Its most similar congener,
A. schneideri
, is clearly allopatric, being restricted as far as known to
Ecuador
(
Fig. 169
). We suspect that
A. carolus
will eventually be found in neighboring
Panama
.