Lestes sponsa
Creators: name: Pinhey, E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1980
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Odonata
Lestidae
Lestes
Lestes sponsa

description: LESTES (LESTES) SPONSA (Hansemann) Text fig. 1, 15-20, pp. 341, 366 <i>Agrion sponsa</i> Hansemann, 1823: 159 <i>Lestes sponsa</i> Selys, 1840: 140; Selys, 1862: 301 (17 sep.); Kirby, 1890: 160; Schmidt, 1928: 247 (fig. only); May, 1933: 33, 92 (adult and larva); Cowley, 1935: 56; Cowley, 1940: 174; Longfield, 1949: 177, pis.; Conci &amp; Nielsen, 1956: 66, 69, figs.; Robert, 1958: 85, figs.; Loibl, 1958: 55-80; Corbet, 1962: 12, 24, 37, 120 etc.; Pinhey, 1966b: 284; Belyshev, 1973: 504, fig. 211 <i>Lestes sponsus</i> Martin, 1910: 102 <i>Agrion forcipula</i> Charpentier, 1825: 6 (syn. Kirby, 1890) <i>Lestes nympha</i> Stephens (Kirby MS) 1829: 26 (nom. nov.); Stephens, 1836: 77 (syn. Kirby, 1890) Type described from Germany. This species is the generally accepted type species of <i>Lestes</i> Leach. The word sponsa, in Latin, means a bride, sponsus, a promise or a bridegroom. The usual form of the name, <i>sponsa,</i> will be retained here. <b>Characters:</b> Sectors of arculus well forward, like <i>viridis</i> and all Ethiopian species. A metallic green species, with strong dorsal crest on segment 10. Inferior anal appendage very long, its distal portion with arm inturned. Vulvar scale with distal angular extension. General description. Mature &amp;male; pruinosed white laterally and ventrally. Small. <i>Mature &amp;male; (Germany).</i> Labrum and face green or blue-green. Postclypeus and head above black or metallic green. Orbits below black. Synthorax metallic green to first lateral suture, and below this at dorsal end. Black stripe at dorsal carina, black stripe enclosing an ochreous line at humeral suture. Sternite strongly white pruinosed, faintly showing a thick black U-shaped mark. Femora 2-3 mainly black, with narrow ochreous stripes. Wings hyaline or slightly fumose. Venation dark brown to black. Pterostigma shortish, broad or narrow, the posterior edge straight; above about two cells; black, with pale anterior or anterior and distal edge. Forewing with 11-12 Px. Ac at or slightly before separation of anal vein. Space R4-MA with long intercalaries starting proximally, at Px 2 to Px 3, and short distal ones. Abdomen broadly metallic green on most segments; segment 1 all pruinose (juveniles with squarish distal spot); 9-10 black; segment 10 with pronounced dorsal crest and with denticles on distal margin. Anal appendages mainly black. Superior appendage gradually forcipate, with numerous outer denticles. Sub-basal tooth sharply acute, well connected with flange. Flange serrated and straight, abruptly inturned before the end. Inferior appendage extending about threequarters as far as superior in side-view; conical at base, with long straight but inturned distal arm. Head of prophallus with broad, rounded distal hood, surmounted anteriorly by a long narrow lip. Terminal shelf simple. Abd. 29-30 mm; hw. 20-21 mm; pt. 1,25-1,5 mm. (Selys, 1862, gives abd. &amp;male; 25-30, &amp;female; 25-29; hw. 18-21 mm). Pruinose &amp;male; (Japan) essentially similar. Pterostigma paler, browner. Thoracic dorsal carina and humeral suture all black. <i>Mature &amp;female; (Japan).</i> Labrum greenish yellow, postclypeus and head above dark metallic green or bronze. ' Prothoracic hind lobe narrow. Mesostigmal lamina narrow, black, with straight black posterior ridge. Synthorax metallic green, as in &lt;?. Sternite with trace of a lateral brown bar and small medial spot at distal end. Pterostigma brown. Forewing with 13-14 Px. Abdomen with metallic band on all segments, but only on distal end of segment 1 and restricted on 10. Segment 10 with slight crest, Cerci thick, mainly black. Ovipositor sheath black on lower half; scarcely curved ventrally, slightly more so on denticulate distal half. Vulvar scale produced to an acute apical point at upper distal angle. Abdomen 29-30 mm; hindwing 22,5 mm. <b>Distribution</b>. Widespread in Europe; North and NW Asia. Martin (1910) gives Algeria: common at lake margins. A Kenya record must be discounted (see Pinhey 1966b: 284): 3 &amp;male; in <i>RSM,</i> Edinburgh are labelled: “ Laikipia, Brit. East Africa, 6/1905, F. J. Jackson”. These specimens were from the G. T. Bethune-Baker Collection. This is a most unlikely record and, as I remarked in 1966, the specimens were probably collected when Sir Frederick Jackson (former Governor <b>of</b> Uganda) was on <b>leave</b> in Europe. <b>Laikinia</b> is <b>in northern</b> Kenya. Material examined. <i>NMB:</i> W. Germany: Karlsruhe Weingarten, July 1964. Japan: Hokkaido, Aug. 1935. An Algerian record of Martin’s has been reported to me (<i>USSRL):</i> Algeria (Martin Colln).
description: Published as part of <i>Pinhey, E., 1980, A revision of African Lestidae (Odonata) (excerpt), pp. 327-479 in Occ. Pap. Nat. Mus. &amp; Mon. Rhodesia B 6</i> on pages 364-367, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3531717
description: {"references": ["Hansemann, J. W. A. 1823. Anfang einer Auseinandersetzung der deutschen Arten der Gattung Agrion. Dr Wiedemann's zool. Magazin 2 (1): 148 - 161.", "Selys - Longchamps, M. E. 1840. Monographic des Libellulidees d'Europe. Selys; Paris &amp; Bruxelles. 8 VO. 220 p., 4 pls.", "--------- 1862. (with Hagen, H. A.). Synopsis des Agrionines, seconde legion: Lestes. Bull. Acad. r. Belg., Cl. Sci. (2) 13: 288 - 338 (1 - 54 sep.)..", "Kirby, W. F. 1890. A Synonymic Catalogue of the Neuroptera-Odonata or Dragonflies. With an Appendix on Fossil species. Gurney &amp; Jackson; London. 202 p.", "Schmidt, E. 1928. Bemerkungen fiber Lestiden. Ent. Mitt., Berlin 17 (4): 244 - 251, 6 text figs.", "May, E. 1933. Pt. 27. Libellen (Odonata). In: Die Tierveelt Deutschlands und der angrenzenden Meeresteile nach ihren Merkmaleh und nach ihrer Lebensweise. Edit. Fr. Dahl, publ. Gustav Fischer; Jena. 124 p., 134 text figs.", "Cowley, J. 1935. The generic names of the British Odonata with a check list of the species. Part 3. In-. The Generic names ofBritish Insects. Sub-committee, Generic Nomencl., Roy. ent. Soc.; London, pp. 43 - 62.", "-------- 1940. A list of the Odonata of the islands of the western Mediterranean area. Proc. R. ent. Soc. Lond. (B) 9 (10): 172 - 178.", "Longfield, C. 1949. Dragonflies of the British Isles. 2 nd edn. Frederick Warne; London. 256 p., 58 pls., text figs.", "Conci, C. &amp; Nielsen, C. 1956. I. Odonata. In: Fauna d'Italia. Calderini; Bologna. X + 298 p., 1 pl., 156 text figs.", "Robert, P-A. 1958. Les Libellules (Odonates). Delachaux et Niestle; Neuchatel &amp; Paris. 364 p., 48 pls., 64 text figs.", "Loibl, E. 1958. Zur Ethologie und Biologie der deutschen Lestiden (Odonata). Z. Tierpsychol., Berlin. 15: 54 - 81, 7 tabs., 20 text figs.", "Corbet, P. S. 1962. A Biology of Dragonflies. H. F. &amp; G. Witherby; London. 247 p., 115 text figs.", "-------- 1966 b. (30 June). Notes on African Odonata, particularly type material. Revue Zool. Bot. afr. 73 (3 - 4): 283 - 308, 7 text figs.", "Belyshev, B. F. 1973 (In Russian). The Dragonflies of Siberia. Edit. V. V. Schevchenko. Nauka (Siberian branch); Novosibirsk. 1 (2): 333 - 620, text figs. 110 - 270.", "-------- - 1910. Contribution a l'etude des Nevropteres de l'Afrique. I. Lestes d'Afrique. II. Les Odonates du departement du Constantine. Annls Soc. ent. Fr. 79: 82 - 95; 95 - 104.", "de Charpentier, T. 1825. Horae Entomologicae. Wratislawiae. XII + 50 p., 1 pl.", "Stephens, J. F. 1829. Nomenclature of British Insects. 8 VO. London.", "-------- 1836. Illustrations of British Entomology; Mandibulata. vol. 6. London."]}