Asiagomphus superciliaris Kompier 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kompier, Tom
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Odonata
Gomphidae
Asiagomphus
Asiagomphus superciliaris

description: Asiagomphus superciliaris sp. nov.
(Figs. 4g –h, 5c, 6c, 7c, g, 8e, 9a–c, 11c–e)
Material examined: Holotype ♀, Huu Lien NR, Lang Son Prov., (appr. 21.686 N. 106.376 E), 01-V-2014, TK leg.
Paratypes. 1 ♂, Huu Lien NR, Lang Son Prov., 24-V-2014, TK leg.; 1 ♂, Bac Kan Prov., 5-IV-2015, TK leg.
Additional records based on field observations by TK: 5 ♂♂, Huu Lien NR, Lang Son Prov., 24-V-2014; 1 ♂, Bac Kan Prov., 5-IV-2015.
Etymology. The specific name superciliaris, an adjective in the genitive case, refers to the heavy “eyebrows” formed by the ridge behind the lateral ocelli, which are covered in long thick hairs.
Description of holotype (Figs. 4g –h, 5c, 6c, 7c, g, 8e, 9a, 11c)
Head. Lateral lobes of labium pale yellow laterally, median lobe black. Labrum black. Anteclypeus blackish brown, somewhat paler in the middle. Postclypeus black. Base of mandibles pale yellow. Postfrons with broad yellow stripe, extending downward to cover the dorsal margin of the otherwise black antefrons. Posterior edge of postfrons black. Cranium black, lateral ocelli with a raised ridge posteriorly covered in thick black hairs (Fig. 9a). Occiput black, smooth but slightly raised centrally, occipital ridge with dense long black hairs. Antennae black, but top of first segment pale.
Thorax. Prothorax with anterior lobe yellow but black laterally, and median lobe with small yellow central spot and pair of small lateral spots. Synthorax black with yellow markings as follows: Mesepisternum with dorsal stripe, straight, merging with collar stripe to form two inverted “7” shapes. No antehumeral spot or antehumeral stripe. Blackish brown mesepimeron with straight broad lateral stripe. Mesokatepisternum blackish with small yellow spot. Metepisternum blackish brown with almost imperceptibly paler brown spot at postero-dorsal corner. Metakatepisternum blackish brown with diffuse small pale brown spot. Mesepimeron almost completely pale yellow, but black stripe over metapleural suture. Coxae blackish brown and legs all black.
Abdomen. Black with yellow markings as follows: S1 with some yellow along ventral margin, brownish laterally shading to dorsal half black, center of dorsum yellow; dorso-laterally and laterally covered in long black hairs; S2 with yellow auricle, yellow along venter, which extends upward laterally before black posterior margin, and with yellow central line dorsally; S3 with triangular antero-ventral spot and short antero-dorsal stripe; S4–6 with short antero-dorsal half-ring, broken laterally on S4; S7 with large antero-dorsal half-ring; S9 dorsally with large yellow marking on posterior fourth. S7–9 markedly widened.
Accessory genitalia (Figs. 4g –h). Anterior hamulus dark reddish brown, about 4x longer than wide, apical fourth strongly constricted, apex scoop-shaped, directed backwards and outwards, somewhat curved posteriorly at apex, with tiny teeth at distal margin, and with long hairs extending from broader base internally (Fig. 4g). Posterior hamulus black, robust, in lateral view a little more than twice the length of visible part of anterior hamulus, base smooth, lateral surface concave at one third from base, somewhat rugged and with long hairs, curving inwards at apical part, apex additionally curved anteriorly to form curled hook, not well visible in lateral view. Anterior margin of posterior hamulus smooth in lateral view (Figs. 4g –h).
Vesica spermalis. Flagellum extending well beyond somewhat slender median process of apical segment, tip of flagellum short, directed downward at 45 degree angle.
Wings. Hyaline with black veins, minimally smoky. Anal triangle 3-celled, cubito-anal space with one crossvein, all triangles uncrossed, nodal index 11–15:16– 12 in FW, 12–11: 10–12 in HW. Pt brown, 3.5 mm, covering 4.5 cells in FW and 3.5 in HW.
Anal appendages (Figs. 5c, 6c, 7c, 8e). Black. Cerci simple, unbranched, diverging in dorsal view and apically tapering to a posteriorly directed point (Fig. 5c), in lateral view minimally curved downward, apically inflicted posteriorly to form sharp tip, in length cerci approximately 1.2x length of S10, as long as epiproct (Fig. 6c). Epiproct deeply triangularly incised (Fig. 7c), in dorsal view branches diverging slightly more than cerci and triangular, rather flat, tapering to a slightly inward arched blunt tip, at middle slightly bulging and with elongated lengthwise depression supapically (Fig. 8e). In lateral view ventral margin first slanting downward, then at twofifths from base rising again, apical three-fifths thinner than basal two-fifths, and thinning somewhat towards apex. Dorsal margin slightly convex at base, then shallowly concave. Apex tapering to blunt point, hooked inward and upward to form small dorsal tooth (Fig. 6c).
Measurements (in mm). Total length (incl. appendages) 57, HW 33.
Variation in paratype males. Mesokatepisternum completely black in one male and metakatepisternum all dark brown in the other. Both other males S3 with antero-basal ring instead of lateral triangle and antero-dorsal stripe, S4–7 with large antero-dorsal spot, interrupted dorsally. Epiproct of Huu Lien paratype (Figs. 7g, 9b, 11e) not v-shaped, but more roundly incised (Fig. 7g). Bac Kan paratype (Figs. 9c, 11d) with two large yellow lateral spots near dorsal margin of labrum. S1–2 with reduced yellow. Huu Lien paratype nodal index 14–16:16– 13 in FW 12–11: 11–13 in HW. Bac Kan paratype 14–17:17– 14 in FW and 13–12:12– 12 in HW.
Measurements (in mm). Total length (incl. appendages) 57–62, HW 36.
Female. Unknown.
Differential diagnosis. Asiagomphus superciliaris sp. nov. is a very dark species, easily separable from other species occurring in Vietnam by aspects of coloration and structural characteristics, apart from the similar A. monticola and A. xanthenatus. It can be separated from these two by the dense hairs on its face, densely covering the ridge behind the lateral ocelli (compare Figs. 9a–c with Fig. 9d), by the typical curled tips of the posterior hamulus and suddenly constricted and scoop-shaped anterior hamulus (compare Figs. 4g –h with Figs. 3e–f, 4e–f), and from A. monticola by the lack of an antehumeral spot and all black metepisternum. The even darker A. acco lacks yellow half-rings or spots on S3–6, and has a ventral tooth on the cerci (Fig. 6h), next to other differences. All Chinese, Korean, and Japanese species have a distinct complete antehumeral stripe or, rarely, at least an antehumeral spot, and generally have lengthwise dorsal stripes on the abdomen, or have different thorax patterns. Asiagomphus reinhardti is easily identified by the protrusion of the posterior margin of S10 and different cerci, in addition to differences in thorax and abdomen pattern. The western species A. nilgiricus and A. personatus have longitudinal markings on the abdomen (Fraser 1925) and A. odoneli has differently marked S8–9. These species also have different thorax pattern and structural differences. Asiagomphus auricolor has different color pattern in addition to structural differences, like different posterior hamulus (not curled at apex), and lacks the extreme hairy aspect of the face, in particular on the ridges behind the lateral ocelli.
Habitat and ecology. Asiagomphus superciliaris was found in Huu Lien NR at a small stream with sandy substrate, about a meter deep in places, bordering grazed grassland on one side, and bushes at the foot of karst mountains at the other. It occurred here with A. auricolor, but whereas that species apparently preferred to sit on bushes along the stream, A. superciliaris often perched on rocks in the stream. The altitude here is only a few hundred meters asl. In Bac Kan it was observed in hilly country, approximately alt. 400 m, on a stream with pebbly and sandy substrate, where it occurred with A. auricolor and a single female A. pacificus. This stream ran through heavily degraded forest fragments.
description: Published as part of Kompier, Tom, 2018, The genus Asiagomphus in Vietnam, with descriptions of three new species, and first descriptions of the male of Asiagomphus auricolor (Fraser, 1926) and of the female of Asiagomphus reinhardti Kosterin & Yokoi, 2016 (Odonata: Gomphidae), pp. 301-330 in Zootaxa 4462 (3) on pages 324-325, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4462.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1441611