Description of the larva ofArgia percellulata(Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

2012·0.22 MB·

by  Rodolfo Novelo-Gutiérrez

InternationalJournalofOdonatology
Vol.15,No.1,March2012,45–50
Description of the larva ofArgia percellulata (Odonata:
Coenagrionidae)
RodolfoNovelo-Gutiérrez*andJoséAntonioGómez-Anaya
InstitutodeEcología,A.C.ReddeBiodiversidadySistemática.CarreteraantiguaaCoatepec351,El
Haya,Xalapa,Veracruz,Mexico
(Received14December2011;finalversionreceived10January2012)
ThelarvaofArgiapercellulataisdescribedandfigured.ItfallsintothegroupofArgialarvaewithavery
prominentligulaandonepalpalseta,butdiffersfromitsclosestrelativesbyhavingtibiaeusuallywithtwo
well-defineddarkrings,posteriormarginofsternite6smooth,andposteriormarginofsternite7smooth
mediallyandwithspiniformsetaelaterally.Larvaewerefoundundercobblestonesinopen,wide,shallow
streamswherethewaterflowwasslowtomoderate,closetotheshorelinewithinacloudforest.Thelarva
iscomparedwithfourotherspeciesapparentlycloselyrelated.
Keywords: Odonata;Zygoptera;damselfly;Argiapercellulata;larvaldescription;Mexico
Introduction
Argia percellulata Calvert is an endemic Mexican species with a restricted distribution thus
far known only from the states of Chiapas, Puebla, Oaxaca and Veracruz (González-Soriano
& Novelo-Gutiérrez, 2007; Garrison, unpublished data), ranging from 380m at RíoTecpatlán,
Zihuateutla,Puebla(Cuevas-Yañez,2007),to1980matthevicinityofSierradeJuárez,Oaxaca
(Garrison, pers. com.). The original vegetation at all localities was cloud forest, although in
Coatepectheforesthasbeenlargelyreplacedbycoffeeplantationsandpastureland.Larvaewere
notrearedtoemergence,butweareconfidentoftheiridentitybecausetheonlyotherlargespecies
ofArgiafoundinCoatepecover20yearsofintensivecollectionsisA.lacrimans(Hagen),thelarva
ofwhichisquitedifferentinseveralfeatures(Novelo-Gutiérrez,1992).Moreover,infourmature
larvaethewingvenationisquitevisiblebytransparency,revealingsixandfivepostquadrangular
cells on forewings and hind wings, respectively, as described by Calvert (1902) for adults of
A.percellulata.Finally,twolarvaefromCoatepecwerecapturedinthesamespotwhereasmall
breedingpopulationofA.percellulataoccurseveryyear.
*Correspondingauthor.Email:[email protected]
ISSN1388-7890print/ISSN2159-6719online
©2012WorldwideDragonflyAssociation
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2012.660412
http://www.tandfonline.com
46 R.Novelo-GutiérrezandJ.A.Gómez-Anaya
Figure 1. Dorsal(a)andventral(b)viewsofF0malelarvaofArgiapercellulata(gillsdetached).
Methods
Larvae were collected with a D-frame aquatic net and preserved in the field in 96% ethanol.
Afterwards, they were transferred to vials containing 80% ethanol. Mandibular nomenclature
followsWatson(1956).Drawingsweremadewithaidofacameralucidaonastereomicroscope
ZEISSStemiSV6.PhotographswereobtainedwithaCANONPowerShotG10digitalcamera
mountedinastereomicroscopeZEISSStemi2000-C.Measurements(inmm)weremadewitha
calibratedocularmicrometerasfollows:Headwidth,acrosscompoundeyes;totallength,dorsally
fromanteriormostmarginoflabrumtoposteriormostmarginofabdominalsegment10;abdomen
length,ventrallytoposteriormostmarginofabdominalsegment10;hindfemora,alongmidline
ofexternalsurface.S1–S10=abdominalsegments1to10.F0=lastinstarlarva.
LarvaofArgiapercellulata(Figures1–12)
Specimensexamined
SevenF0larvae(fourmales,threefemales):Mexico:Veracruz,Coatepec,RíoHuehueyapan,La
Marina (19◦ 27(cid:3) 09(cid:3)(cid:3) N, 96◦ 58(cid:3) 53(cid:3)(cid:3) W; 1196m), 19April 2000, R.Arce leg (one male); same
databut1May2002,R.Noveloleg(onefemale);Puebla,Tecpatlán(20◦14(cid:3)28(cid:3)(cid:3)N,97◦51(cid:3)35(cid:3)(cid:3)
W;380m),3May2002,K.Cuevasleg(threemales,twofemales).Allspecimensdepositedat
ColecciónEntomológicadelInstitutodeEcología,A.C.(IEXA).
Diagnosis
Amoderatelyrobustlarva(Figure1a),groundcolorbrownwithlightareas,legswithwidedark
bandsseparatedbynarrowpaleareas.Caudallamellaemostlygrayorgrayish-violetinbasalhalf,
remainderpalewithanindefinite,transversegrayband.
Description
Head. Widerthanlong,posteriormarginwidelyconcave,dorsalcolorpatternasinFigure1a.
Cephaliclobesroundedwithposterolateralmarginsbearingstoutspiniformsetae.Labrumbrown,
DescriptionofthelarvaofArgiapercellulata 47
Figures 2–6. DetailsoflarvalmorphologyofA.percellulata.(2)Leftantenna,dorsalview.(3)Mandibles:(a)rightand
(b)leftmandibles,ventrointernalview;(c)rightand(d)leftmandibles,externalview.(4)Hypopharynx,ventralview.
(5)Ventralviewofleftgaleolacinia.(6)Labium:(a)prementum,dorsalview;(b)endhooksandmovablehookofleft
palp,frontalview;(c)rightpalp,dorsalview.
setose,setaewhitish;clypeustrapezoidal,brown,withapairofparallel,narrowwhitelinesalong
middlethird.Antennaeseven-segmented(Figure2),scarcelylongerthanhead,scapeshortand
pale, remainder of antennomeres brown; proportional length of antennomeres (from basal to
apical): 0.4, 0.55, 1.0, 0.6, 0.45, 0.25, 0.15. Mandibles (Figure 3) with molar teeth but lacking
molarcrest,withfollowingformula:L1’12340ab/R1’1234ya0,bothmandibleswith
aventraltransverse,rowofsetaerunningfromexternalmarginofmandibletolevelofinternal
border of tooth 4.Ventral pad of hypopharynx subquadrangular with a tuft of 6–7 long, robust
setae located subapically to each anterolateral corner, and a transverse row of smaller setae on
anterior margin (Figure 4). Maxilla: galeolacinia (Figure 5) with six teeth, three dorsal teeth
approximately of the same size, three ventral teeth of differing sizes, apical one the longest, a
rowofstiffsetaeprecedingbothventralanddorsalteeth.Labiumyellowishbrown.Prementum-
postmentumarticulationreachingposteriorborderofprocoxae.Prementum0.80timesaswide
aslong(Figure6a),witharowof17–20spiniformsetaealongdistalhalfoflateralmarginsand
agroupof15–21basidorsalspiniformsetaeofdifferingsize;ligulaveryprominent(2.95times
wideratitsbasethanlong,measureddorsally),withcloselyset,minuteclaviformsetaeondistal
margin.Prementalpalpwithtwoendhooksshorterthanmovablehook,theventral(medial)one
longest(Figure6b),internalmarginofpalpfinelyserrate,externalmarginofsmallerendhook
with a row of minute, sharp denticles; palp with one long setae basal to movable hook, and an
irregularrowof24–26short,stoutspiniformsetaealongdorsalmargin(Figure6c);arowofthree,
stoutspiniformsetaeatbaseofpalparticulation.
48 R.Novelo-GutiérrezandJ.A.Gómez-Anaya
Figures 7–12. DetailsoflarvalmorphologyofA.percellulata.(7)Sternites7–10showingsetaeandmalegonapophyses.
(8) Male gonapophyses, left lateral view; (9) Sternites 8–10 showing setae and female gonapophyses. (10) Female
gonapophyses,leftlateralview.(11)Caudallamellae:(a)medianlamella,leftlateralview;(b)laterallamella,external
view.(12)(a–d)Malecerci:(a)lateral,(b)dorsolateral,(c)dorsal,(d)ventral;(e)femalecerci,dorsalview.Ce=cercus.
Thorax. Pronotaldiskmostlylightbrownwithsomescattered,longsetaeandspiniformsetae
on anterodorsal surfaces, lateral margins dark brown, strongly convex, and covered with long
setae;propleuradarkbrown.Synthoraxmostlybrownwithawide,palebandonanteriorhalfof
mesepimera(Figure1a).Wingsheathsbrown,anteriorpairscarcelysurpassingposteriormargin
ofS4,posteriorpairreachingbasalhalfofS5.Legsshort(i.e.,tipofmetatibiaescarcelysurpassing
S10whenfullyextended),pro-andmesotibiaelongerthanrespectivefemora;metafemoraand
metatibiaesubequal.Femorawithtwolarge,wide,darkbandsconnectedtoeachotherbyathin
lineatmiddle,anincompletebasaldarkringwidelyconnectedwithsubbasallargedarkband,the
paleinterveningspacesreduced(Figure1a);tibiaewithtwodark,well-definedringsatbasaland
middleareas(sometimeswithathird,well-defined,subapicaldarkring),narrowerthanintervening
palespaces;dorsalandventralbordersoffemora,externalsurfaceofprofemora,andinternaland
external borders of tibiae with robust spiniform setae, these spiniform setae intermingled with
long,stiffsetaeondorsalbordersoffemoraandexternalbordersoftibiae;apicointernalborder
oftibiaewithsomelarge,robust,reddish,spine-likesetaeintermingledwithabundantlongsetae
andtridentatesetae;tarsiwithabundant,yellow,stiffsetaeonventralsurface,andlong,delicate,
whitishsetaeondorsum.
Abdomen. Wideratbase,reachingmaximumwidthatS3,andthengraduallynarrowingcaudally.
Tergiteswithcomplexcolorpattern,butmostlydarkwithapalespotalongmidline,triangular
DescriptionofthelarvaofArgiapercellulata 49
ontergites5–9,subquadrangularontergite10,andsubmedian,longitudinalstripetoeachsideof
midlineontergites2–9;tergite1pale(Figure1a).LateralmarginsofS1–6withdarkblotchon
apicalhalf(Figure1b);lateralmarginsofS1–5slightlyconvex,straightonS6–10;tergites1–4
smooth,5–10withspiniformsetae,scatteredon5andincreasinglyabundantcaudally;atuftof
longwhitesetaealongmidlineontergites2–10.Sternites1–6andmiddlethirdof7smooth,lateral
thirdsofsternites7–10withspiniformsetae,middlethirdofsternites8–10withclaviformsetae
exceptonsmooth,smallcentralareaofsternite10(Figure7).Malegonapophyses(Figures7,8)
long,parallel,spatulateandwithtipspointedbutnotacute,reachingposteriormarginofsternite10
(Figure7);ventralborderwith29–31stout,dark,claviformsetae(Figure8).Femalegonapophyses
(Figures9,10)exceedingposteriormarginofS10by0.50lengthofS10;lateralvalves,inventral
view (Figure 9), with tips pointed, ventral border with 29–30 stout, claviform setae on basal
0.75; in lateral view (Figure 10) with 2–3 spiniform setae on external surface; median valves
smooth.Caudallamellae(Figure11)withmoderatelyacuminatetips.Laterallamella(paraproct)
(Figure11b)stronglyinflatedonbasal0.55onexternalside,apical0.45laminar,2.5timeslonger
thanitswidestpart;alaterobasal,triangular,amber-colored,chitinousplateatbasal0.25oflength
oflamellabearingstout,long,spiniformsetae;dorsalandventralborderssmooth,fringedwith
delicatewhitesetaeonapical0.40and0.50respectively;mostoflamellagrayorgrayishviolet
onbasal0.55,apical0.45whitewithawide,transverse,grayband(Figure11b).Centrallamella
(epiproct) (Figure 11a) inflated at basal 0.40 on both sides, almost two times longer than its
widestpart;lateral,triangular,amber-colored,chitinousplateextendingtobasal0.25oflengthof
lamellaandbearingstoutspiniformsetaeintermingledwithstiffsetae;dorsalandventralborders
asdescribedforlaterallamellaandcolorpatternasinFigure11a.Malecercishort(Figure12a–d),
globoseindorsalandventralviews(Figure12c,d),roundlypointed.Femalecercitriangularin
dorsalview(Figure12e).
Measurements (mm). Total length (without caudal lamellae) 15.5–16.3 (n=6); maximum
width of head 4.5–4.6 (n=6); hind femur 4.5–4.7 (n=12); abdomen 9.0–10.1 (n=6);
paraprocts5.8–6.5(n=4);epiproct4.2–4.8(n=3).
Remarks
LarvaeofArgiapercellulatawerefoundundercobblestonesclosetoshorelineinexposed,wide
(e.g.15m),andshallowstreamswherethewaterflowwasslowtomoderate,withinacloudforest.
Discussion
ArgiapercellulatafallsintothegroupofArgialarvaewithveryprominentligulaandonepalpalseta
(Novelo-Gutiérrez,1992)andshowsagreatresemblancetoA.barrettiCalvert(Novelo-Gutiérrez,
2008), A. harknessi Calvert (Novelo-Gutiérrez, 1992), A. insipida Hagen in Selys (Geijskes,
1943), and A. joergenseni Ris (von Ellenrieder, 2007), all sharing the following features:
antennalscapepale(exceptinA.insipida;cf.Geijskes,1943,plate3,figureb);ligulastrongly
prominent; premental palp with one seta; femora with dark bands wider than intervening pale
spaces; sternite 8 with abundant claviform setae on the middle; male gonapophyses spatulate,
bluntly pointed, beset with claviform setae on ventral border; female gonapophyses bluntly
pointed, lateral valvae with abundant claviform setae on ventral border; male cerci globose;
caudal lamellae inflated basally, with a short acuminate tip, ventral and dorsal borders free of
stoutsetae.Ofallthesespecies,A.percellulatahasthegreatestnumberofbasidorsalspiniform
setaeontheprementum(15–21)andisthelargestinstature.
50 R.Novelo-GutiérrezandJ.A.Gómez-Anaya
ThelarvaofA.percellulatadiffersfromtheabove-mentionedspecies[insquarebrackets]as
follows: (1) tibiae usually with two dark rings well-defined [one ring, joergenseni; three rings,
barretti, harknessi, insipida]; (2) posterior margin of sternite 6 smooth [smooth medially, with
spiniform setae at sides in barretti and joergenseni; unknown for insipida]; (3) posterior mar-
gin of sternite 7 smooth medially, with spiniform setae at sides [mostly smooth with scattered
spiniformsetaeatsides,harknessi;withclaviformsetaeonmiddleandspiniformsetaeatsides,
barretti;unknownforinsipida](inthisfeature,similartojoergenseni);(4)malegonapophyses,in
ventralview,withexternalmarginstraightinbasalhalf[thismarginstronglysigmoidinbarretti,
harknessi,joergenseniandinsipida].
Acknowledgements
ThanksareduetoDrs.KenTennessen,MichaelMayandRosserGarrisonfortheircriticismwhichimprovedthecontent
andEnglishsyntaxofthefinalversion.WealsothankKarinaCuevas-Yañez,M.Sc.,forthedonationofsomelarvaeofA.
percellulata.FinancialsupportwasprovidedbyaCONACYTgrant101542-F.
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