Rhinocypha togeanensis Jan van Tol &amp; André Günther 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Van Tol, Jan
name: Günther, André
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Odonata
Chlorocyphidae
Rhinocypha
Rhinocypha togeanensis

description: <i>Rhinocypha togeanensis</i> sp. nov. (Figs 9, 71–76, 83) <i>Rhinocypha</i> sp. B. — GÜNTHER (2008a): 49, 86, 89–94. Material studied <b>Holotype</b> &amp;male; (AG no. Indon 11/1999, JvT 33391). » Indonesia, Sulawesi. To- gian Is., Batudaka, Wakai, Sg. Tanimpo, S 0°26’ S / E 121°52’), 27.08.1999, leg. A. Günther « (in RMNH) [with identification <i>Rhinocypha</i> sp. B] (Fig. 71). <b>Paratypes</b> (11&amp;male; 6&amp;female;) <b>Sulawesi Tengah</b> 7&amp;male; 4&amp;female;, Togian Is., Batudaka, Wakai, Sungai Tanimpo (0°26’S, 121°52’E), 13–14- -viii-1994, leg. A. Günther &amp; F. Randow (in AGPC); 4&amp;male; 1&amp;female;, Togian Is., Batudaka, Wakai, Sungai Tanimpo (0°26’S, 121°52’E), 24–27-viii-1999, leg. A. Günther (in AGPC); 1&amp;female;, same data as holotype (in RMNH). Etymology <i>Togeanensis</i>, an adjective based on the type locality Kepulauan Togean (also: Togian Islands). Diagnosis Male with head and pronotum very dark, mandibles entirely black, head with only small sub-quadrangular blue spot on gena and minute creamy spots beside lateral ocelli and on post-ocular lobe; pronotum and mesopreepisternum black; synthorax with irregular narrow blue stripe; opaque brownish black parts, with blue metallic sheen, in hind wing from Rs (some- what more distal at hind margin); abdomen dorsum black; sides with large blue markings, decreasing in size on S6–S8. Males can be distinguished from the <i>R. frontalis</i> -complex by the absence of blue markings on the frons, absence of an ante-humeral stripe, and shape of band on synthorax; from <i>R. monochroa</i> by the fully black mandibles and the absence of a ventral pro- jection along the metapleural suture; from <i>R. phantasma</i> and <i>R. virgulata</i> by a fully black dorsum of the abdomen (no pruinescence or blue rings anteri- orly on segments), from <i>R. flavipoda</i> by the black pronotum, and the white tibiae of mid and hind legs, and from <i>R. pelengensis</i> by the black mandibles, the completely black pronotum, the more extensive opaque patches on the wings and the larger blue spots on the abdomen. Females of <i>R. togeanensis</i> can be recognized by the absence of any pale marks on the pronotum; it is most similar to the female of <i>R. monochroa</i>, with which it shares the extensive black coloration and the markings on syn- thorax and abdomen. However, <i>R. monochroa</i> has large blue spots on the mandibles (small and creamish in <i>R. togeanensis</i>), and usually distinct pale markings on the pronotum (may be obscured in some specimens); the transparent distal part of the fore wing is usually distinctly larger in <i>R. monochroa</i>. Description <b>Male</b> (holotype) [note: the type was previously pinned through the mid- dle of the thorax; some parts bearing diagnostic characters were damaged] (Fig. 71) Head (Fig. 72) — Black, anteriorly weakly lustrous, dorsally velvet black; gena with small, sub-oval blue marking, touching eyes and with short ven- tral projection; minute oblong creamy spots behind lateral ocelli, and about size of ocelli; spots on post-ocular lobe smaller, just discernable. Thorax — Pronotum (Fig. 73) entirely velvet black, without any trace of pale markings. Synthorax (Fig. 74). Mesopreepisternum glossy black. Synthorax dull black with irregular blue band from ventro-posterior corner of mesokatepisternum to ventro-posterior corner of metepimeron; anterior side on metepisternum with narrow black interruption to mesokatepisternum; dor- sal side of band irregular, ventrally running just below metathoracic spira- cle, metakatepisternum black; stripe over metepimeron bent ventrad distal to metakatepisternum, leaving a narrow black border ventrally; irregular dorsal side of stripe without dorso-posteriorly directed projection. Legs (right mid leg missing) — Black, with distal ⁵/₆ of inner sides of tibiae of mid and hind legs white. Wings — Dark brownish black with blue metallic sheen from around the nodus in fore wing, and Ax5 in hind wing to the wing tip; opaque part me- dially extended approximately to level of Ax10 in fore wing, and to fork of Rs in hind wing, but leaving the quadrangle transparent; transparent base of wings enfumed dark brown; pterostigma of fore and hind wings brown. Abdomen (Fig. 75) — Dorsum black; sides with extensive blue markings; marking on segment 1 sub-quadrangular, ventrally somewhat irregular; that on S2 covering most of side and leaving only a small black triangle in ventro-anterior corner; markings on S3–S5 covering sides nearly completely, except the intersegmental annulae; marking on S6 ventrally over full length of segment, dorsally tapered posteriorly; markings on S7–S8 similar to S6, but increasingly smaller; S9 with just a very small pale marking at an- terior margin; S10 and anal appendages black. Measurements [mm] — Hind wing length 22.0, hind wing width 5.5; abdomen (including appendages) 19.0. <b>Female</b> (AG Indon 13/1999, JvT 33392) Head (Fig. 76) — Black; pale parts more extensive than in the male; man- dibles medially with small, oblong creamish spot; gena with creamish, rec- tangular spot touching eye margins, ventrally somewhat extended along eye margin; narrow stripe along eye margin at level of antennae, not connected with marking on gena; dorsum of head velvet black with creamy spots near lateral ocelli and on post-ocular lobe as in male. Thorax — Pronotum black without any pale marks. Synthorax. Mesopreepisternum black. Base colour of synthorax black, semimatt with some metallic sheen; mesepisternum black without markings; mesepimeron with short and narrow cream stripe posteriorly, about the length of this stripe from hind margin; band over metepisternum and met- epimeron narrow, creamy white with some blue tones; band consists anteri- orly of small spot in ventro-posterior corner of mesokatepisternum, continues over metepisternum and metepimeron with short black interruption on suture between mesokatepisternum and metepisternum; ventral and dorsal sides of band subtly irregular, dorsally ending against hind margin halfway metepimeron, ventrally running under metathoracic spiracle, continuing posteriad well from the lower margin of metepimeron, and ending against hind margin. Legs — Black, somewhat shiny. Wings — Very dark. Base of fore wing transparent approximately to level of Arculus, but costal space transparent to level of nodus; tip of fore wing transparent distal to Px24, tip subtly opaque white; hind wing semi-transparent basal to Arculus, strongly enfumed dark brown, rest of wing opaque dark brown, but tip distal to distal side of pterostigma transparent and clear; pterostigma of fore and hind wings with basal half brown, anteriorly nar- rower, distal part opaque white. Abdomen — Dark brown with relatively small pale (cream) markings: S1 with sub-oval spot against hind margin, covering approximately ¼ of segment; S2 and S3 with a short pale stripe close to lower margin of segment, about &amp;frac13; of the segment length; small sub-triangular or sub-oval spots lat- ero-posteriorly on segment; S3–S7 with a minute oblong spot medioante- riorly on each segment; S4–S7 with a short stripe close to lower margin of tergite, length of this stripe about &amp;frac13; of length of segment; S8–S10 black. Measurements Measurements of male specimens [mm] — Hind wing length (n = 5) x= 21.5 (20.5–22.0), hind wing width (n = 5) x= 6.0 (5.5–6.0), abdomen length (in- cluding appendages) (n = 5) x= 18.5 (17.5–19.5). Measurements of female specimens [mm] — Hind wing length (n = 3) x = 23.0 (22.0–24.0), hind wing width (n= 3) x=6.0 (6.0–6.5), abdomen length (including appendages) (n = 3) x= 17.5 (17.5–18.0). Distribution and habitat Known from only one river on the island of Batudaka, one of the Togian Islands (Fig. 83). On Batudaka it was found only on Sungai Tanimpo south of Wakai village (Fig. 14). In 1994 and 1999 the habitat was a fast-flowing shallow stream of about 3–4 m in width within undisturbed evergreen lowland rainforest. Important habitat requirements were apparently large broken logs stand- ing in the water. Above a small waterfall (‘Air terjun Wakai’, 0°26’10.1”S, 121°51’36.1”E) the stream was characterized by small cascades, pools and shallow, but still flowing sections with a bed of gravel. Below the water- fall, the character changed increasingly to a sandy lowland stream. <i>Rhinocypha togeanensis</i> was absent in lower (sandy) reaches of the still fast flow- ing Sungai Tanimpo within disturbed primary forest, secondary forests and plantations.Current Google EarthTM images show that the site has now been largely deforested. Behaviour Detailed observations of the reproductive behaviour were recorded by GÜNTHER (2001, 2008a) on Batudaka (Togian islands) sub » <i>Rhinocypha</i> sp. B«. The behaviour of the males was basically similar to <i>R. frontalis</i>. They maintained small territories around driftwood and twigs lying in the water, but mostly around large logs in the stream. The agonistic display consisted mainly of threat flights with synchronous stroking wing beats. In contrast to <i>R. frontalis</i>, the flight pattern includes an additional vertical component when males alternately or simultaneously ascend and descend while facing each other. Due to the highly visible blue iridescent patches on the hind wings, pairs of fighting males were very conspicuous, their sparkling wing colours visible from some distance. During courtship males led the females into their territories.After mating, the females left the male territories.All recorded oviposition took place unguarded on the large logs well above the water surface. Aggregations of females at these oviposition sites were regularly observed.
description: Published as part of <i>Jan van Tol &amp; André Günther, 2018, The Odonata of Sulawesi and adjacent islands. Part 8. Revision of the genus Rhinocypha Rambur, 1842 (Chlorocyphidae), pp. 299-386 in Odonatologica 47 (3)</i> on pages 366-371, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1481114