Heteragrion roquei Vilela, Rodrigues & Lencioni 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Vilela, Diogo Silva
name: Rodrigues, Marciel Elio
name: Lencioni, Frederico A. A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Odonata
Megapodagrionidae
Heteragrion
Heteragrion roquei

description: Heteragrion roquei Vilela, Rodrigues & Lencioni sp. nov.
(Figs. 1 a−b, 2, 3a−b, 4a−b, 5d)
Holotype. ♂ (CZYG3085 BA), Brazil, Bahia state, Municipality of Una, Fazenda Araruna, (-15.3146, -39.1621), 40 m, 19.ix.2019, M.E. Rodrigues leg., UESC.
Paratype. 1♂ (CZYG3065 BA), same data as holotype, except (-15.3101, -39.1621), FAAL.
Etymology. Named roquei (noun in genitive case) after Dr. Fábio de Oliveira Roque, professor and researcher at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, for his dedication and contribution to science with studies focused on ecology and conservation of continental aquatic ecosystems, especially with the aquatic insects. And also, for the friendship, partnership in research and orientation to studies with Odonata during the second author’s master’s and doctorate.
Head (Figs. 1 a−b, 3a). Labium and labrum brown; base of mandibles and genae pale colored, apex of mandibles dark brown; remainder of the head orange, except for the brown vertex, and following black areas: a black stripe lateral to each antenna, a black stripe ranging from each postocular area to the occipital bar. Rear of the head pale colored, darker on the occipital region.
Thorax (Figs. 1 a−b, 3a−b). Prothorax mostly orange; anterior lobe black laterally and posteriorly, remainder orange; medial lobe mostly orange with two black stripes on each side; hind lobe orange with a black medial spot. Pterothorax mostly orange/yellow, with a black middorsal carina; mesepisternum orange with a black basal stripe; mesopleural suture pale; mesepimeron and metepisternum each orange with a medial thin black stripe; remainder of pterothorax yellow. Coxae and trochanter pale colored; legs pale with smoky femoral areas, darker on distal femora and apical tibiae.
Wings (Fig. 2). Hyaline, reaching S6; venation and Pt dark brown; Pt overlying 2.5 cells in Fw, 2 cells in Hw, oblique proximally; 2 Pq cells in all wings; 19 Px in FW, 15 Px in HW.
Abdomen (Fig. 1a). S1 mostly yellow, with a brown dorsal spot; S2 pale laterally, gradually becoming brown dorsally, with a yellow dorsal stripe; S3−6 mostly black with pale basal rings and pale spots on their 4/5; S7 black, becoming dark brown posteriorly; S8−9 dark brown; S10 black, becoming dark brown ventrally.
Anal appendages (Figs. 4 a−b). Dark brown with darker coloration on the carinas and spines; BP subequal to MP; ventrobasal expansion (VbE) present, ‘C’ shaped in posterior view; dorsobasal expansion (DbE) broad, as large as VbE; MP roughly quadrangular, plate like, squared apex; sclerotized ridge of MP oblique, slightly curved, bearing at least six denticles, reaching MP posterior margin; AP the shortest, ending blunt tip curved inwards. Paraprocts greatly reduced.
Measurements. FW: 27.3; HW: 26.5; AL: 41.7; TL: 50.1.
Variations in paratypes. Male paratype do not vary in cerci morphology. Only slight thoracic coloration differences were spotted, probably related to aging. Male paratype varied in size as follows: FW: 27−27.3, HW: 25.9−26.5, AL: 40−41.7, Total: 48−50.1.
Female. Unknown.
Differential diagnosis. Heteragrion roquei belongs to Lencioni’s Group A, composed of males lacking developed paraprocts (Lencioni 2013). Based mainly on cercus morphology, and some coloration characters, the morphologically closest taxa of the new species are H. triangulare Hagen in Selys (Figs. 3 c−d, 4c−d), 1862, and H. gracile Machado, 2006 (Figs. 1c, 3 e−f, 4e−f). Despite the resemblances, the new species can be separated from these congeners by the following character combination (see Table 1, and respective figures; other species in parentheses): ventrobasal expansion (VbE) present, ‘C’ shaped in posterior view (absent in H. triangulare, Fig. 4c, who has an apophysis; larger in H. gracile, Fig. 4e); dorsobasal expansion (DbE) broad, as large as VbE (narrow in H. gracile, Fig. 4e); single MP ridge (two ridges in H. gracile, Fig. 4e); ridge reaching MP apex (not reaching apex in H. triangulare and H. gracile). The new species can readily be separated from H. triangulare because this species presents an apophysis on the base of the cercus (Fig. 4c, VbA), instead of an excavated VbE. The remainder combination of characters should be sufficient to separate H. roquei from H. gracile.
Habitat and ecology. At the type locality (Figures 5−6), Heteragrion roquei sp. nov. inhabits lotic environments placed within gallery forests with plenty of shaded areas, where they can be spotted on leaves exposed to the sunlight. Such habitats are common places to find Heteragrion species (Ávila-Jr. et al. 2017, 2020; Vilela et al. 2021a; Mendoza-Penagos et al. 2022), and in that same locality H. consors Hagen in Selys, 1862 was a sympatric species.
description: Published as part of Vilela, Diogo Silva, Rodrigues, Marciel Elio & Lencioni, Frederico A. A., 2022, Revealing the Odonatofauna of Northeastern Brazil: new Heteragrion Selys, 1862 (Odonata: Heteragrionidae) species from Bahia state, pp. 493-500 in Zootaxa 5178 (5) on pages 495-499, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5178.5.6, http://zenodo.org/record/7034050