Odonatologica37(3):279-282 SeptemberI,2008 Descriptionof thelarva of Protoneuraailsa Donnelly (Zygoptera: Protoneuridae) F.Meurgey Museumd’Histoire Naturelle,12rueVoltaire,F-44000Nantes,France [email protected] Received May25,2007/ RevisedandAcceptedDecember2, 2007 Thelast instar larva isdescribed and illustrated forthefirsttime based onspeci- mensfromMartiniqueintheLesserAntilles.Additional notesonitsecologyand lar- valhabitatareincluded. INTRODUCTION Protoneuraisawidespread neotropical genusconsistingof21 species. Current- ly, seven species havebeenrecorded in theWestIndies(PAULSON, 2007) with two species known from the LesserAntilles(MEURGEY, 2006). Thelarvaeof mostProtoneuraspecies are unknownwithonlythe larvalstagesof P.capillaris (Rambur) (WESTFALL& MAY, 1996) described. ProtoneuraailsaDonnelly iscurrentlyknown fromDominica, Martinique,and StLucia(DONNELLY, 1961, 1970;MEURGEY,2005). 1describethefinallar- valinstar, basedon specimens fromMartinique, andgive additionalecological notes. Thelarvaidentifiedas P.ailsaby Donnelly (1970) fromDominicaisreally Enallagma coecum (Hagen), based onmy examinationof reared specimens of thatspecies. PROTONEURA AILSA DONNELLY Figures 1-10 Material -45lastinstarlarvae(6reared).MARTINIQUE:Trois-Ilets,LaPagerie,14-III-2007, G.David leg. All materialdepositedin the Natural HistoryMuseum ofNantes inNantes,France. DESCRIPTION.-Head. — Trapezoidal,widestateyelevel, largerthanprotho- 280 F.Meurgey rax (Fig. 1). Occipital margin strongly concave. Uncleft prementumprominent, strongly convex, andfinely serrated withtwo premental setae (Fig. 2). Margins sinuate with 10-11 small, strongsetae onthe distalthird. Palpal lobewith5 se- tae;movablehookslender,curved, andlongerthanpalpalsetae Distalmarginof palpal lobe withalong sinuousmedialhookand ashorttruncate,hook-shaped serratedlobe(Fig. 3).Antenna(Fig. 4) seven segmented, ringed withblackand whiteonsegments2-5, thirdsegmentthelongest. Thorax.- Pronotumquadrangular. Pterothorax markedwithblack spots oneach side.Translucentwing pads parallel, theinneronesreaching theendof abdominalsegmentfour.Whitelegs withthreedarkbandsonfemoraandtibiae, tarsus withone darkband. Abdomen.- Cylindrical, darkwithalongitudinal whitishstripeextending from abdominalsegment 1-8,enlarged on9;laterally borderedwithblack spots. Femalegonapophyses surpassing distalendof segment 10and outerones den- ticulate(Fig. 5).Malegonapophyses as infigure6. Maleandfemalecercus as in figures 7 and8. Caudallamellaelanceolate, planate,except forthemidrib, with the apexextending intoafinely acute point. Central lamella(Fig. 9)about five timesas long as its maximumwidth;nodus locatedat 0.51 of its length, trape- zoidalandendingin anacute spineoneachside. Bothdorsalcarinaandventral carinawithapproximately 12-15setae.Lateral lamella(Fig. 10)about six times as long as widewith astrong, S-shaped nodusending inan acute spine, located at0.65ofitslength. Dorsal carinawithapproximately 10-12setae,ventralcarina withapproximately20-30setae. Basalportion ofthelamellaestronglysclerotized andpatterned withblack transverse spots. Distalportion paler, whitishand un- spotted Measurements (inmm).-Total length(withoutcaudallamellae)8.4-9.0,inner wingpads 3.4-4.0, abdomen (withoutcaudal lamellae)2.8-3.5,central caudal lamellae 2.T-3.4,lateral caudal lamellae 2.9-3.6. ECOLOGICALNOTES Protoneuraailsaisacommonspecies inMartinique,occurringbetweensealevel and400meterselevation. InDominica,DONNELLY(1970) reported thisspecies from 16stations between460 and600meters altitude,and statesthatP. ailsa is commonalong smallstreams.On thesameisland, MEURGEY (2007) reported P. ailsa from 8 stationsbetween 46and 360meters altitudeon highly vegetated streams. On St Lucia, wherethe species was first described, the typelocality is situatedontheupperCul deSacriver, nearBexon,CastriesQuart,andwas found in anarrow stream withalternaterifflesandpools (DONNELLY, 1961). P ailsa can befoundflying in shadedand heavily vegetated areas along the banksofstreamsandsmallrivers,orhanging verticallyonsmallbranches.Adults canalsobe seenflyingin nearby forestedareas. Bothmalesand femalesfeedon Larva ofProtoneuraailsa 281 smallinsectscaught atslowareas atbasins andpools. Mating takesplace inthe vegetation alongthe banksof streamsand rivers.Tandempairs fly to asuitable oviposition site. Femalesoviposit intandem(very rarelyalone) in leaves, stream debris,mosses, orstemsofaquatic plantsorroots inslowor standing waters of pools, basins, ditchesor dams. InMartinique, larvaewere foundatthreestations onthe sameriver,between Figs 1-10.Protoneuraailsa,last larvalinstar:(I)generalaspect, dorsalview;—(2)prementura,dor- sal view; — (3)leftpalpallobe,movable hook omitted,dorsalview;— (4)leftantenna, lateralview; —(5)femalegonapophyses,lateralview; —(6)malegonapophyses,lateralview; — (7)femalecer- cus, lateral view; — (8)malecercus, lateral view; — (9)central lamella,lateral view; — (10)lateral lamella,lateral view. 282 F. Meurgey 5 and 50meters elevation.The depth of this temporary river withalternating pools is highly variable, dependent on rainfalland usually does not exceed50 centimeters. Exuviaewere foundclinging vertically onthe sidesofabridge and inshadedareas nearthewatersurface.Emerging individualswereseenunderthe bridge, clinging to the roof. Oneemergencetookplace ona smallrock closeto the water surface. Dythemissterilis(Hagen) larvaewerealso foundatthis site. DISCUSSION Generically, Protoneuraailsa larvae share with P. capillaris (WESTFALL & MAY, 1996)thepresenceoftwo premental setae andfivepalpal setae. P.ailsais amoistmontane ora driertransition forestspecies fromMartinique, St. Lucia, andDominica.It canbefoundatlowerelevations, especially ifsuitablehabitats arepresent. Thishasconsequencesforitsconservationstatus asaLesserAntilles endemic. Mostdisturbancesandpollution from sugarcaneandbananaplanta- tionsoccurbetweensealeveland500meterselevationontheseislands, especially Martinique. Pollutantsaredirectly dischargedintothenearbystreams andrivers. Monitoring ofthesesources anditsimpacts on receiving water bodiesis neces- sary to insure thewater qualityandsurvival of P. ailsa. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IthankJERRELLJ.DAIGLE,T.W.DONNELLY, and DENNISR.PAULSONforsuggestions onthe manuscript, and GWENEL DAVID and BENEDICTS THIEBAUTfor collecting speci- mens. REFERENCES DONNELLY, T.W..1961.Anewspecies ofdamselflyfromSt. Lucia,British WestIndies(Odonata: Protoneuridae).FiaEnt. 44(3):119-121. DONNELLY, T.W., 1970.The OdonataofDominica, British WestIndies,Smithson. Conlrib. Zoo!. 37: 1-20. MEURGEY,F.,2005.Eludefaunisliquedes odonalesdeMartinique.SFO/DIRENMartinique. MEURGEY,F, 2006. Protoneura romanaesp.n.fromGuadeloupe(FrenchWestIndies).Odona- lologica35(4):369-373. MEURGEY, E,2007. Acontribution to theknowledgeofthe Odonata ofDominica (British 1Vest Indies).Odonatareport3,Museum d’Histoire Naturelle deNantes/MinistryofAgriculture and the Environment,Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division. PAULSON,D., 2007.WestIndian Odonata,byIslandorIslandsGroup.RevisedApril2007. hllp:ll www.ups.edulx7045.xml. WESTFALL,M.J., 1964. 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