Lestes minutus Selys 1862
Creators: name: Mendoza-Penagos, Cristian Camilo
name: Pérez-Gutiérrez, León A.
name: Muzón, Javier
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Odonata
Lestidae
Lestes
Lestes minutus

description: Lestes minutus Selys, 1862
Fig.5C–D (♁ and ♀ head), Fig.8G–I (♁pterothorax), Fig. 8 G’–I’(♁ teneral pterothorax), Fig. 9O–P (♁ genital ligula), Fig.11M–N (♁ caudal appendages), Fig. 13G–I (♀ pterothorax), Fig. 14G (♀ ovipositor), Fig. 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); Puerto Gaitán, Manacacías, 3.8051N, 72.2871W, 152 m, from Dec-2014 to Jan-2015, L. Pérez, J. Montes leg., 4♁♁, 1♀ (UARC); 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); 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); Meta, San Martin, reserva Rey Zamuro, 3.5551N, 73.3511W, 265 m, 08-06-2014, C. Moreno leg., 2♁♁ (CEUA 81490).
Morphological characteristics (male): head epicranium dark brown; labrum, clypeus, and mandibles pale blue (Fig. 5C). Pterothorax blue, pruinescent, with a wide black antehumeral stripe almost reaching middorsal carina (blue) (Fig. 8G); black stripe occupying superior 0,5 of mesinfraepsiternum and mesepimeron to mesopleural fossa; metepisternum and metepimeron yellowish and pruinescent (Fig. 8H); pectum mostly black (Fig. 8I). 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 G’–I’). Genital ligula subrectangular; inner fold well-developed, reaching distal lobe of anterior lobe of distal segment (Fig. 9 O–P). 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). Apophyses of paraprocts almost 2/3 of cerci length, apices straight, lightly expanded (Fig. 11M).
Female head color pattern as male, except for irregular pale pattern in the posterior margin (Fig. 5D); pterothorax color pattern as male teneral, except for posternum entirely black (Fig. 13G–I). 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).
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). Two color forms were observed in males: one black and blue (Fig. 8G–I), and other ochre, similar to female coloration (Fig. 8 G’–I’). These striking variations in coloration may be attributed to ontogenetic changes (mature vs teneral) or postmortem effects.
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 201-240 in Zootaxa 5415 (2) on page 233, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5415.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10692884