Rhinocypha virgulata Jan van Tol &amp; André Günther 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Van Tol, Jan
name: Günther, André
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Odonata
Chlorocyphidae
Rhinocypha
Rhinocypha virgulata

description: <i>Rhinocypha virgulata</i> sp. nov. (Figs 10, 11, 77–82, 87) <i>Rhinocypha monochroa</i> Form b. — RIS (1916): 312. <i>Rhinocypha</i> sp. A. — GÜNTHER (2008a): 48, 89–94. Material studied <b>Holotype</b> &amp;male;. » Indonesia. C. Sulawesi. 45 km NE Malili: stream connecting Danau Matana and D. Mahalona, at easternmost part of D. Matana, just after outlet. At bridge. Fast flowing, clear water. 2°32’15”S, 121°28’45” E. 450 m. 15 Oct 1993. Leg. J. van Tol « (JvT 1375, in RMNH; Fig. 77). <b>Paratypes</b> (32&amp;male; 14&amp;female;) <b>Sulawesi Tengah</b> (Central Sulawesi) 5&amp;male; 4&amp;female;, N of Danau Poso, Tonusu, Sungai Wera (1°45’S, 120°33’E), 21–22 Mar. 1993, leg. A. Günther; 2&amp;male;, Same site, 24 Jul. 1994, leg. A. Günther &amp; F. Randow; 1&amp;male;, NW shore of Danau Poso, Siuri, small stream (1°48’S, 120°32’E), 6 Aug. 1994, leg. A. Günther &amp; F. Randow; 1&amp;male;, NW shore of Danau Poso, Sungai Kamba (1°52’S, 120°30’E), 8 Aug. 1994, leg. A. Günther &amp; F. Randow; 2&amp;male; 2&amp;female;, N of Danau Poso, Tonusu, Sungai Wera (1°45’S, 120°33’E), 23–24 Feb. 1997, leg. A. Günther; 1&amp;male;, N of Danau Poso, Tonusu, Sungai Tumonda (1°47’S, 120°31’E), 1 Mar. 1997, leg. A. Günther; 7&amp;male; 3&amp;female;, N of Danau Poso, Tonusu, Sungai Wera (1°45’S, 120°33’E), 5 Mar. 1997, leg. A. Günther; 1&amp;male;, N shore of Danau Poso, Tonusu, Sungai Wera (1°45’S, 120°33’E), 2 Sep. 1999, leg. A. Günther. <b>Sulawesi Selatan</b> (South Sulawesi) 3&amp;male; 2&amp;female;, »Süd Celebes. Takala Gebirge. [Before 1916]. D[urch] Rolle« (in SMFD); 4&amp;male; 2&amp;female;, Outlet of lake Matano near Salura. At temporary bridge, 300 m E of lake. (Local- ity 28). Fast running stream, width=10m; depth=2.5m (?); colour of water light blue; shore with trees and shrubs; disturbed primary forest. 26 Sep. 1993. Leg. M.T. Wass- cher; 7&amp;male; 1&amp;female;, Sungai Patea. River from Danau Matana to Danau Mahalona, outlet of Danau Matana. 480 m. 2°32’13”S, 121°28’38”E. 15 Oct 1993. Leg. J. van Tol; 1&amp;male;, Sungai Patea. Stream from Danau Matana to Lake Mahalona at bridge close to out- let of Lake Matana. 2°32’15”S, 121°28’45”E. 390 m asl. 19 Oct 1993. Leg. J. van Tol. Etymology <i>Virgulatus</i>, an adjective, meaning ‘banded’. Diagnosis The male of <i>R. virgulata</i> is characterized by the series of blue rings (annu- lae) anteriorly on S4–S8 of the abdomen, which may also be present on S9 (Fig. 10). It is otherwise rather similar to <i>R. flavipoda</i>, but the opaque part of the wings is less extensive; the blue stripe over the synthorax is rather similar in both species, with a posterior projection on the mesepisternum, but there is quite some individual variation; <i>R. flavipoda</i> is further charac- terized by its creamy yellow tibiae of mid and hind legs (white in <i>R. virgulata</i> and all other Sulawesi <i>Rhinocypha</i> species). <i>R. virgulata</i> differs from the <i>R. frontalis</i> -complex particularly by the absence of a paired marking on the frons, and the absence of a paired spot on the anterior lobe of the pronotum (<i>R. virgulata</i> has a short stripe in lateral corner of anterior lobe, continu- ing on median lobe); from <i>R. monochroa</i> by the marking on the head, and the shape of the stripe over the synthorax (lacking the projection along the metakatepisternum); from <i>R. phantasma</i> by the coloration of the dorsum of the abdomen; from <i>R. togeanensis</i> by the markings on the pronotum (absent in <i>R. togeanensis</i>) and the synthorax (narrow and straight in <i>R. togeanensis</i>). Description <b>Male</b> (holotype; JvT 1375; Fig. 77) Head (Fig. 78) — Labium base pale, divided median lobe and palps brownish black. Labrum semi-glossy, brownish black. Mandibles squarish, brownish black without pale markings. Gena with large, triangular spot, with longest side against eye; a very narrow pale stripe along eye margin approximately at level of antenna. Anteclypeus semiglossy, dark brown, margins somewhat paler. Postclypeus, frons, vertex, occiput and post-ocular lobe velvet black, with paired pale spot behind lateral ocelli, and a somewhat larger spot on post-ocular lobe against occiput. Thorax — Pronotum (Fig. 79) with anterior lobe black except for a small triangular blue spot in latero-posterior corner; this spot continues onto me- dian lobe, anteriorly wider and tapering posteriorly into an acute tip ending just above lateral lobe; lateral lobe with large bluish white median marking, and small pale spot on propleuron; posterior lobe black. Synthorax (Fig. 80). Mesopreepisternum pale blue. Mesepisternum black; mesepimeron, mesokatepisternum, metepisternum and metepimeron black, with a conspicuous blue stripe running from lower posterior corner of mesokatepisternum, ventral side irregular, continuing just below meta- thoracic spiracle towards ventro-posterior corner of metepimeron; dorsal side also irregular, with a significant projection on metepisternum (not reaching hind margin of metepisternum), then over metepimeron bending sharply ventrally and meeting hind margin at <i>ca</i> &amp;frac13; from posterior margin of metepimeron. Legs — Fore leg black; mid and hind legs black with inner side of tibiae white, <i>ca</i> 75 % of tibia in mid leg, and 85 % of hind leg; base of coxae of mid and hind legs posteriorly with short pale blue spot. Wings — Hind wing basal to nodus transparent, remainder opaque, dark metallic in distal part of wing, dark parts of wing extending more basal in middle of wing, underside iridescent coppery bronze, tending to blue along distal margin; fore wing with similar coloration, but opaque patch distal to Px1 in costal space, in middle of wing extending to level of 3 Ax proximal to nodus; iridescence of patch inconspicuous; pterostigma of fore and hind wings dark brown. Abdomen (Fig. 81) — Dorsum black, but lateral markings extending dis- tinctly over dorsum along anterior margins of S4–S9 (see below). Side of tergites with series of blue markings on S1–S9; S1 large, blue, extending dor- sally further then on other segments, ventral side wider than dorsally; S2 rectangular except for a small triangular emargination in ventro-anterior corner; S3 and S4 more or less rectangular, small paired pale anterior spot on dorsum S3; lateral marking of S4 extending dorso-anteriorly in a narrow blue line, not touching medially on segment; S5–S8 with blue markings tapering increasingly more ventro-posteriorly, all extending dorso-anteriorly over dorsum of segment and about the width of intersegmental annulae, also not touching on dorsum; S9 with small spot medially near ventral mar- gin, and a narrow blue ring dorso-anteriorly, again not touching on dorsum; S10 and anal appendages black. Measurements [mm]: Hind wing length 23.0, hind wing width 6.0, abdomen (including appendages) 20.0. <b>Female</b> [JvT 16773] Head (Fig. 82) — Labium brownish, black; dorsal side of head velvet black; mandibles with cream spot relatively small (distinctly smaller than in <i>R. monochroa</i>), and only touching lower margin; gena with pale marking along eye yellowish, ventrally narrow, dorsal half much wider; very narrow pale band along eyes dorsally of marking on gena; small pale spots on dorsal part of head beside lateral ocelli, and on post-ocular lobe. Thorax — Black, with pale marking creamy yellow, compared to <i>R. monochroa</i> well developed; pronotum with short longitudinal marking from ex- treme lateral side of anterior lobe, continuing on median lobe, where it is widest anteriorly; lateral lobe with roughly circular spot. Synthorax. Mesopreepisternum creamy yellow. Synthorax black with some metallic sheen, and pale markings as follows: mesepimeron with short pale stripe in posterior half against humeral suture, <i>ca</i> 1/₆ the length of humeral suture; an even shorter marking; ventral longitudinal stripe more or less straight from ventro-posterior corner of mesokatepisternum, lower side over metathoracic spiracle, dorsal side straight and ending halfway poste- rior side of metepimeron. Legs — Black. Wings — Base enfumed, brownish transparent; fore wing with pale brown transverse band from Px2 to <i>ca</i> Px10 anterior to proximal side of ptero- stigma; pterostigma bicolorous; hind wing with transverse band darker than in fore wing, from level of nodus to distal side of pterostigma, just the tip transparent, the most distal series of cells white and more opaque. Abdomen — Black with creamy pale markings; S1 with triangular spot, widest part against posterior margin; S2 with medio-anteriorly a short stripe about &amp;frac13; of length of segment, posteriorly with a larger triangular spot, medioventrally a triangular spot, anteriorly tapered, approximately ¼ length of segment; S3 anteriorly with L-shaped marking, approximately ½ length of segment, the shorter arm against anterior margin, ventrally on S3 an oblong triangular spot; S4 with pale stripe against anterior margin with short hook medially, and ventrally a narrow stripe about ²/₅ the length of segment, small spots medially and posteriorly; S5 with short stripes against anterior and ventral margin; S6 and S7 with similar, but smaller markings; S8–S10 black. Variation in paratypes Males: Measurements of specimens collected near Lake Poso [mm] — Hind wing length (n = 5) x= 22.5 (22.0–23.0); hind wing width (n = 5) x= 6.0 (5.5– 6.0); abdomen length (including appendages) (n = 5) x= 19.5 (19.0–19.5). Specimens collected near Malili [mm] — Hind wing length (n = 4) x= 25.0 (24.5–26.5); hind wing width (n = 4) x= 6.5 (6.0–7.0); abdomen length (in- cluding appendages) (n = 4) x= 21.0 (20.0–22.0). Females: Measurements of specimens collected near Lake Poso [mm] — Hind wing length (n =5) x= 27.5 (26.5–28.0); hind wing width (n = 5) x = 7.5 (6.5–8.0); abdomen length (including appendages) (n =5) x= 20.5 (19.5– 20.5). Distribution and habitat Probably restricted to streams running into or from Lake Poso or the Malili lakes (Fig. 87); specimens collected in 1915 (in SMFD) were collected in the Takala Mountains. In the Lake Poso area <i>R. virgulata</i> was found in four different streams that flowed directly into Lake Poso at an altitude between 510 m and 750 m a.s.l. (Fig. 17). The fast flowing, clear streams ranged from 2 to 10 m in width. The substrates were sandy-gravelly, rarely slightly muddy. The species was found in forested habitats or at least streams with dense gallery forests in- cluding half-shaded streams within plantations but not in sections that were more affected by paddy fields. Probably at this time the original habitats in the open lower stream sections no longer met the habitat requirements as a result of land clearing and preparing paddy fields. The highest abundance of about 15–20 males per 100 m stream was observed in areas of slightly disturbed primary forests and well-developed secondary forests. At Sun- gai Wera the colonised section ended below the Saluopa falls. In the undis- turbed rain forest section above the falls only <i>R. phantasma</i> was found. In the 1990s, the species probably spread further into the headwaters due to progressive deforestation. Current Google EarthTM images suggest all locali- ties are heavily deforested. Behaviour The reproductive behaviour was studied by GÜNTHER (2008a) in the Lake Poso area, and designated as » <i>Rhinocypha</i> sp. A«. The behaviour of the males, including threat and courtship display, was basically similar to <i>R. frontalis</i>. Males occupied their territories in the early morning. The streams, only partly shaded for most of the day, already had sunny sections at this time. Unlike other <i>Rhinocypha</i> species, some females were observed at the stream in the morning hours. Matings were occasionally recorded from 09:00 h solar time, but most females did not arrive until late morning. On overcast days and after rain showers, the females were not receptive. Oviposition took place in rotten timber and driftwood at the level of the water surface. Generally, females could be observed quite often far from the streams inside the forests, <i>e.g</i>., along small tracks. Adult males remained at the stream from early morning until early evening. The highest intensity of threat flights in males was observed at the time of the first matings in the late morning hours, as well as in the late afternoon. Most of the males defended small distinct territories over many days, sometimes for several weeks.
description: Published as part of <i>Jan van Tol &amp; André Günther, 2018, The Odonata of Sulawesi and adjacent islands. Part 8. Revision of the genus Rhinocypha Rambur, 1842 (Chlorocyphidae), pp. 299-386 in Odonatologica 47 (3)</i> on pages 372-378, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1481114