Cora chiribiquete spec. nov., a new damselfly species from Colombia (Zygoptera: Polythoridae)

6 Pages·2001·2.3 MB·English

by  Zloty, J

Odonatologica30(2): 227-232 June 1, 2001
Cora chiribiquete spec. nov.,
a new damselfly species from Colombia
(Zygoptera: Polythoridae)
J.Zloty¹and G.Pritchard²
Departmentof BiologicalSciences, University ofCalgary, Calgary,Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
[email protected] / 2 [email protected]
Received September 10, 2000 /Reviewed and Accepted October 15, 2000
The newsp. is described from the Sierra deChiribiqueteofColombian Amazonia.
Holotype6: Colombia,SierradeChiribiquete,Puerto Abeja,5-VII-1996;tobedeposited
in USNM,Washington,DC, Itbelongstothe modesta groupofG.H. Bide&J.C. Bide
(1991,Odonatologica20:453-458),and canbedistinguishedfromall otherPolythoridae
by transverse goldbands on thehindwings.
INTRODUCTION
TheColombianSierradeChiribiquete isaseriesofuplandformationsthatcover
20,000km2from northoftheRio Caqueta into thesouthernpart of theOrinoco
drainage. On a short visittothearea in July 1996westayed on thesouthbank of
theRio Mesay, opposite the 12,000km2Chiribiquete NationalPark, in thewood
houseknownas PuertoAbeja(Fig. 1).
ThemostinterestingfeatureoftheareaaroundPuertoAbejaistherockysandstone
hills, “immenseflat-topped ridges withone sidesloping gently towardtheforest
floor,andtheothera[300 metre]wallofyellow stone surmountedbyjuttingstrata
drapedin vegetation”(DAVIS, 1996).Atthebaseofthesehillsisalayerofigneous
rock, relating theChiribiquete totheancientGuyanan andBrazilianShields,and
setting itofffromtherest oftheAmazonbasin.On top, grassland is“interspersed
withdensebrushoflow gnarledshrubs, anislandofsavannahperched [300metres]
abovea tropical rain forest.” (DAVIS, 1996). Perhaps because ofthis geological
structure thearea maybeless biologically diversethantheforestnearAraracuara
80kmtothesouth,wheremorethan1200speciesofvascularplantswererecorded
fromten0.1 haplots(DUIVENVOORDEN, 1994).STILESetal„ (1995) recorded
228 J. Zloty& G.Pritchard
77 species ofbirdsfrom
the Chiribiquete, all at
very low density, which
theauthorsattributetothe
“low productivity and
poor nutrient content of
the very shallow, sandy
soil.” The bulk of the
avifauna shows much
closeraffinity withthatof
the savannas and sandy-
belt forests of the
Fig. 1.Mapshowingthe location ofPuertoAbeja,where collections
Orinocanregion thanwith
were made.
the humid forest of
Amazonia.Mammalsareperhaps morediverse,withmorethan60smallmammals
and seven primates recordedfrom the very small part ofthearea that hasbeen
investigated (Patricio von Hildebrand,pers. comm.).
Apart from 119 species ofbutterfliesthat have been recorded(Patricio von
Hildebrand,pers. comm.), the insects are virtually unknown. Of 14 species of
Zygoptera we collectedat ashallow,chemically thin(5.4 mg/1TDS), acidic(pH
5.3)stream atPuertoAbeja, sixarenew(R.W. Garrison,pers.comm.). Inthispaper
we describeoneofthese, anewspecies ofthegenus Cora.
CORA CHIRIBIQUETE SP.NOV.
Figures 1-8
Material. —Holotype<J:COLOMBIA,SierradeChiribiquete,PuertoAbeja,0°4’44"N,72°26’50"W,
5-VII-1996. — Allotype S: Colombia, Sierra de Chiribiquete, Puerto Abeja, 4-VH-1996. Air-dried
specimens (notacetoned);colours somewhatpalerthancolours in life (the latter aredescribed below).
Both specimens willbe depositedintheNationalMuseumofNaturalHistory inWashington,D.C.
Etymology. —The namechiribiquetereferstothe areafrom which the specimenswerecollected.
MALE(holotype). — Head (Fig. 2). — Widthacross eyes,58 mm;interocular
distance,27 mm. Setae relatively few andinconspicuous. Vertex andfronsmatte
black withapairofyellow postocular spotsandapairofyellowspotsbetweenthe
antennae;genayellow withacentralblack spot;clypeus shiny blackwithayellow
spot oneachside;anteriormarginofclypeus brown; labrumshinyblack withtwo
largeyellow spots;antennalsockets andscapeyellow withblacklaterally,remainder
ofantennablack; scape,0.3mm;pedicel, 0.6mm;base ofmandibleyellow, biting
surface brownishblack; maxillaeyellow,except palp and laciniablack.
Thorax. — Prothorax(Fig. 3). — Anteriorlobeofpronotumblackwithyellow
comers; middlelobeblack, withextensiveyellow laterally; hindlobeentirely black.
Pterothorax(Fig. 4a). — Mesepistemablack alongdorsalcarina,greenish yellow
Cora chiribiquetesp. n. 229
laterally with a broad black
stripe enclosing a yellow
band; black spot at dorsalend
ofhumeralsuture;mesepime-
ron greenish-yellow with an
undividedblack band,ventrad
ofwhichisabrownspot. Meta-
thorax similarbut no yellow
band within metepisternal
stripeorbrownspotventradof
metepimeral stripe.
Legs. — Pro-femurmainly
black becoming greenish-
-yellowproximo-anteriorlyon
outer surface, greenish yellow
more extensive on inner
surface; meso-femur similar
but greenish-yellow more
extensive on outer surface,
inner surface entirely pale;
meta-femurmainly greenish-
-yellow, entirely so on inner
surface, withblack posterior
border extending onto outer
surfacedistally;femorawith2
rows of black spines on
anteriorsurface; 8 or9spines
ineach row; proximal spines Figs 2-4.Cora chiribiquetesp.n.:(2)headofmale, (a)dorsal
on pro-femur about0.5width and (b) anteriorview; — (3)prothoraxofmale,(a) dorsal and
of femur, distalspines about (b)lateral view; - (4) pterothorax, lateral view of(a) male
equaltofemurwidth;onmeso- and(b) female.
andmeta-femoraall spines about 1-1.5 times thewidthofthefemur.Tibiaeand
tarsi black. Tibiaewith2rows ofblack spines on anteriorsurface, 10-15spines in
eachrow;proximal spines ofpro-tibia 3x widthoftibia,distalspines 0.5widthof
tibia;proximal spines ofmeso-tibia2x, distalspines 0.5, widthoftibia;proximal
spines ofmeta-tibia2.5x widthoftibia, distal spines equal to widthoftibia.
Wings. — Forewing: Length 29mm,maximumwidth7.25mm,petiole 2.0mm,
base-nodus 11.7 mm, nodus-pterostigma 14.7 mm, antenodals 32 (r), 33 (1);
postnodals 36 (r), 40 (1); pterostigma, red-brown, 2.0 mm along lower side,
surmounting 4.75 cells. Hindwing (Fig.5a): Length 28 mm, maximumwidth7.7
mm,petiole2.0mm,base-nodus 10.0mm,nodus-pterostigma 14.25mm,antenodals
27(r),27(1); postnodals 36(r),37(1);pterostigma, red-brown, 1.75mmalong lower
230 J.Zloty &G. Pritchard
side, surmounting 4(r),4.5(1)
cells. Both wings hyaline.
Hind wing with inverted,
triangular, gold band
extending full width ofthe
wing, 4.8 mm along Sc-C,
decreasing to 0.5 mm at
posterior edge; triangle
begins at antenodal23 and
extends to postnodal 8,
except no pigmentation in
firstrow beforenodus.
Fig. 5. Cora chiribiquetesp. n„ hind wingof(a)male and(b)
Abdomen(Fig.6a). —
female.
Mainly black with green
lustre; segment 1yellow laterally; segment2 withyellow lateralbandandbrown
andpale yellow bandsventrally; segment3withyellow lateralbandto0.80length
ofsegment; segment4withthinyellow lateralstripefor0.75length; segments5-
-7withasmalllateralyellow spot atanteriorendofeachsegment.
Caudalappendages (Fig. 7). — Superior appendages 1.24mm, withventral
branch atmid-length; tip ofventralbranch yellow,remainderblack.
Penis(Fig. 8). — Terminalsegment(glans) ofmodesta-groupshape, withhorns
0.16mmorabout0.20length ofterminalsegmentofpenis.
FEMALE(allotype). — Head. — Colourpatternas inmale.Widthacross eyes,
62mm; interoculardistance,30 mm.
Thorax. — Prothoraxandpterothorax (Fig.4b)asinmale,except mesepisternal
stripejoined tohumeralspotand metathoracicstripes lighter incolour.
Legs similartomale.
Wings. — Forewing: Length 29.4mm,maximumwidth7.5mm,petiole2.0mm,
base-nodus 12.3 mm, nodus-pterostigma 14.8 mm, antenodals 34 (r), 33 (1);
postnodals 38(r),37(1); pterostigma, red-brown,2.0(r) and2.3(1) mmalonglower
side,surmounting 6(r) and4.75(1) cells.Hind-wing (Fig. 5b): Length 28.65mm,
maximumwidth7.7mm,petiole2.24mm,base-nodus 10.5mm,nodus-pterostigma
14.85mm, antenodals27(r),25(1);postnodals 38(r), 35(1); pterostigma,red-brown,
2.0mmalonglowerside,surmounting 4.75(r),5 (1) cells.Bothwingshyaline. Hind
wing withatransverse, goldband,betweenpost-nodals 2-10onanterioredge and
extending the full width ofthe wing; 3.44 mm along leading edge of wing,
decreasing to2.4mm atposterioredge.
Abdomen (Fig.6b). — Segments 1 and2as inmale;segments3-5withlateral
yellowbandextending toposteriorendofeachsegment;onsegment6lateralyellow
band gradually ending at 0.75 ofsegment length; yellow band on segment 7
gradually ending at0.5 ofsegment. Ovipositorblack.
REMARKS. — Cora chiribiquete belongs to BICK & BICK’s (1990) South
Cora chiribiquetesp. n. 231
Figs 6-8. Cora chiribiquetesp.n.: (6) abdomen, lateral viewof(a)male and(b) female; — (7)male
superiorappendage,lateral view; — (8)penis,(a)lateral view and (b)dorsal view ofterminal segment.
American subgroup ofthe modesta group,which now contains 8 species. C.
chiribiqueteisseparable fromallotherspecies inthissub-groupexcept C.terminalis
andC. mundaby themesepisternal pattern, fromC. terminalisby thelackofdark
apical wingmarkings, shorterpenishornsandshorterforewings, andfromC.munda
by the longerfore-wings andthemid-hind-wingband. Indeed, C. chiribiquete can
be distinguished fromallotherspecies inthefamily by thegoldbandson thehind
wings (BICK&BICK, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We aremost gratefultoPATRICIOVON HILDEBRAND fortakingus toPuertoAbeja, ROSSER
GARRISONfor identifyingourmaterial and reviewing this manuscript,andDENNISPAULSON and
BILLMAUFFREYforprovidinginformationonComwingpatterns. GERRYNEWLANDS photographed
the wings.Financial support wasreceived from the Natural Sciences & EngineeringResearch Council of
Canada.
REFERENCES
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species, P. lamerceda spec,nov, from Peru (Zygoptera: Polythoridae).Odonatologica 14: 1-28.
BICK, G.H. & J.C. BICK, 1986. The genus Polythore exclusive of the picta group (Zygoptera:
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BICK, G.H. & J.C. BICK, 1990. A revision ofthe neotropicalgenus Cora Selys, 1853 (Zygoptera;
Polythoridae). Odonatologica 19: 117-143.
BICK,G.H. & J.C. BICK, 1991.Twonew damselflies: Coradorado spec.nov. fromEcuador andCora
pardaspec. nov. from Pern (Zygoptera: Polythoridae).Odonatologica20: 453-458.
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