Mesogomphus genei Morton 1924
Creators: name: K. J. Morton
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1924
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Odonata
Aeschnidae
Mesogomphus
Mesogomphus genei
Gomphidae
Mesogomphus hageni

description: <b>Mesogomphus genei</b> Selys. Haifa, &amp;male;, 28.iii.22, <i>&amp;female;,</i> 4.iv.22; Wadi Kelt, &amp;male;, 16.v.23, <i>&amp;female;,</i> 9.iv.23. The only references known to me as t o the occurrence of <i>Mesogomphus</i> in the region are those of de Selys, who records under the name of <i>Onychogomphus hagenii</i> a &amp;male; from Beirut in his collection, adding that Hagen had received the same species from Syria through Lederer. As I a m disposed to doubt that the above Palestine examples are different from the Beirut insect, my use of the name <i>genei</i> requires explanation. An altogether extraordinary confusion has arisen in connection with three Selysian names: O. <i>genei</i> (Selys, 1841, type <i>&amp;female;,</i> Sicily, Mus. Turin), O. <i>hagenii</i> (Selys, 1871, <i>&amp;male;&amp;female;,</i> Egypt, Mus. Berol.) and O. <i>costae</i> (Selys, 1885, &amp;male;, Oran, <i>coll</i>. Selys). I n 1871Selys separated <i>from genei</i> under the name of <i>hagenii,</i> the <i>&amp;male;&amp;female;</i> from Egypt which he considered he had erroneously associated with his type &amp;female; of <i>genei</i> from Sicily in <i>Mon</i>. Gomphines, a step be it noted primarily due t o a misapprehension on his part regarding a &amp;male; from Oran (thought by him to be the true &amp;male; of <i>genei <i>)</i> subsequently known as O. <i>costae,</i> a species which occurs in Spain. I n 1878 he reported the &amp;male; <i>hagenii</i> from Beirut, associating with it a <i>darker</i> example from Abyssinia communicated by McLachlan. I n 1887 he says of his Beirut example that it is like <i>pumilio</i> only a little larger and not quite so pale, more greenish: <i>genei</i> from Sicily (with <i>excelsus</i> Costa as a synonym) he says is larger than <i>hagenii</i> and the colour of the body darker.</i> McLachlan (1897) records from Algeria, all under the name of <i>genei,</i> examples of both sexes from Biskra and a pair from Lac Houbeira; to the former he was inclined at first to apply the name <i>genei</i> (as represented by <i>the</i> original type from Sicily), these having the abdomen less darkly marked and being <i>without a dark band on the top of the front before the ocelli.</i> The Lac Houbeira examples he inclined to consider <i>hagenii</i> Selys (with <i>excelsus</i> Costa as a synonym -in this differing from Selys); these having the abdomen somewhat heavily marked with black and <i>a broad blackish band on the top of the front before the ocelli.</i> McLachlan indicates that <i>hagenii</i> from Abyssinia seems to differ from the Lac Houbeira examples only in having the abdomen still more blackish at <i>the</i> extremity. To follow <i>McLachlan</i>, the Palestine examples would appear to agree better with his conception <i>of genei</i> than of <i>hagenii,</i> but the differences in size and colour which Selys and he <i>mention</i> seem to be <i>of</i> doubtful value. Whether there are two species, and both of them present in the Mediterranean region, may remain an open question until more material is available especially from Sicily and Sardinia, but I incline to the view that there is only one, <i>Mesogomphus genei,</i> and that <i>M. hageni</i> should be cancelled. As Dr. Ris has pointed out (in <i>litt</i>.), much has been written on this subject, but it is all based on a very small number of actual specimens and observations. For the better understanding of the questions involved he has been good enough to take the trouble of tabulating the relative literature, and his lists are given herewith with his approval. These cannot fail to be useful to any one who may in the future have occasion to go into the matter. Words enclosed in square brackets are personal additions and appreciations by <b>Dr</b>. Ris. <i>Gomphus Genei</i> Selys, Rev. Zool. aout 1841, p. 245 (p. 5 sep.), &amp;female;, Sicily, Mushe de Turin. Selys Hagen, Rev. Odon. pp. 101 and 384 <b>(</b> 1850 <b>),</b> the same example. <i>Onychogomphus Genei</i> Selys, Synops. Gomph. p. 17 <b>(</b> 1854 <b>)</b> (<i>pars</i>), the same example. Selys Hagen, Monogr. Gomph. p. 311 <b>(</b> 1857 <b>)</b> (pars), <i>the</i> same example, p. 312 described anew. Selys Ann. <i>Soc</i>. <i>Ent</i>. France <b>(</b> 3 <b>)</b> 8, p. 742 <b>(</b> 1860 <b>),</b> the same example. <i>Lindenia Genei,</i> Kirby Cat. p. 59 <b>(</b> 1890 <b>).</b> <i>Onychogomphus Genei McLachlan</i>, Ent. Mon. Mag. <b>(</b> 2 <b>)</b> 8, <i>p</i>. 155 <b>(</b> 1897 <b>)</b> (pars), 3 <i>&amp;male;</i> 2 <i>&amp;female;,</i> Biskra. Martin, Ann. S. Ent. France 79, p. 99 <b>(</b> 1910 <b>),</b> Algeria [Compilat., no new material]. Le Roi, Deutsche Ent. Ztschr. 1915, 'p. 621 <b>(</b> 1915 <b>),</b> Algeria, ex auct. MESOGOMPHUS HAGENI. Onychogomphns Genei Selys, Synops. Gomph. p. - 17 (1854) (pars), &amp;male;&amp;female;, Egypt, Mus. Berol. Selys Hagen, Monogr. Gomph. p. 313 (1857) (pars), &amp;male;&amp;female;, Egypt, Mus. Berol. -Tab. 3, &amp;filig;g. 4, &amp;male;&amp;female;. Onychogomphus Hagenii Selys, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. 14, p. 15 (1871), nov. nom. for the &amp;male; &amp;female;, Egypt, Mus. Berol. Selys, 3 add. Synops. Gomph. p. 11 (1873), new descrip- tion of the same pair [Whether after new examina- tion? very improbable]. id. 4 add. Synops. Gomph. p. 21 (1878), 1 &amp;male; Beirut d. Staudinger, coll. Selys, more lightly coloured [no exact description; 1 &amp;male;, Abyssinia coll. MCLach-] lan, more darkly coloured [no exact description;] Syria through Lederer sec.Hagen Gomphus excelsus Costa, Bull. Soc. Ent. Ital. 15, p. 333 (1884), [ex Cat. Kirby-—not seen by Ris] to Hagenii after McLachlan, 1897. Onychogomphus Genei Selys, Gpts. Rd. Soc. Ent. Belg. xii, 1885, p. 8 sep. -short mention of G. excelsus Costa, which is determined as On. Genet (Hagenii according to McLachlan—see above). [The place of the descrip- tion by Costa is given as Actes Acad. Sc. Naples 1883—not seen by Ris.] Onychogomphus Hagenii Selys, Cpts. Rd. Soc. Ent. Belg. xii, 1885, p. 8 sep., mentioned. Selys, Ánn. Soc. Ent. Belg. 31, p. 28, 67 (1887), the same material as 1878. Lindenia Hagenii, Kirby Cat. p. 59 (1890). Onychogomphus Costae Karsch, Ent. Nachr. 16, p. 377 (1890), 1 &amp;male;, Egypt leg. Ehrenberg Mus. Berol. [after the short diagnosis surely not Costae nob., but very probably the old example of the Synops. and Monogr. Gomph. and therefore the type of Hagenii; a &amp;female; is not mentioned]. Onychogomplznv Genet Selys, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. 36, p. 10-11 sep. (1892), 1 &amp;male;&amp;female;, coll. Selys, Sardinia <i>leg.</i> Costa [to <i>Hagenii</i> according to McLachlan, 18971. Portugal, observed by M. Girard [not seen by Selys, whether by McLachIan is not stated; this locality probably uncertain:? may refer to Costae] <i>Onycliogomphus Hagenii</i> Selys, <i>ibid.</i> p. 11 (1892)) the material <i>of</i> 1878-1 887. . <i>Onychogomphus</i> <i>Hagenii,</i> sub <i>Genei,</i> McLachlan, <i>Ent</i>. M. Mag. (2) 8, p. 155 (1597)) 1 &amp;male;&amp;female;,Lac Houbeira, Algeria. <i>With</i> these Houbeira examples, <i>excelsus</i> Costa [which McLachlan had in his <i>coll</i>. from Sardinia according to Selys, 18921 is said generally t o agree. <i>Onychogomphus Hagenii</i> Martin, Feuille j. <i>Nat</i>., No. 370, p. 249-50 (sep.) (1901), Biskra; the larva is said from <i>Onychogomphus</i> t o be widely different and t o have the type of the usual <i>Gomphus</i> larvae [what I hold to be certainly wrong!. ] Mesogomphus Hageni Ris, Ber. Senckenb. <i>Nat</i>. Ges. 1909, p. 27, mentioned from Eritrea. <i>Onychogomphus Hageni</i> Martin, Ann. <i>Soc</i>. <i>Ent</i>. France 79, p. 100 (1910), Algeria [Compilat., no new material]. <i>Mesogomphus Hageni</i> Ris, Novitat. Zool. 20, p. 468 (1913)) Biskra. <i>Onychogomphus Hageni</i> Le Roi, Deutsche <i>Ent</i>. Ztschr. 1915, p. 621, Algeria, ex auct. <i>Mesogomphus Hageni</i> Ris, Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 18, 3, p. 344 (1921))figs. 46, 47, 48, Tab. 9, fig. 2, South Africa, Katanga, Abyssinia, Eritren, Tunisia, Algeria.
description: Published as part of <i>K. J. Morton, 1924, The Dragon-flies (Odonata) of Palestine, based primarily on collection made by Dr. P. A. Buxton, with Notes on the Species of the Adjacent Regions., pp. 25-44 in Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1924</i> on pages 35-38, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3539379