Conocephalus (Anisoptera) maculatus (Le Guillou, 1841)

Plate 1, Figs A–B; Plate 2, Figs 1 –17

Redescription

Male: Small size and slender body. Head: fastigium compressed laterally; base of fastigium wider than scapus and apex rounded; eyes globular and bulging outward; Thorax: Pronotum with disc slightly raised; anterior margin weakly concave, posterior margin rounded; median carina indistinct; lateral lobes triangular, deeper than long with secondary tympanum present on posterior edge; humeral sinus indistinct; prosternum with a pair of spines; mesosternal lobes elongated and triangular; metasternal lobes rounded; thoracic auditory spiracle large, partially hidden under the lateral lobe of pronotum. Tegmina shorter than hind wings, apex rounded; hind wings not surpassing the middle of hind tibia; stridulatory file with 50 teeth on the ventral side of left tegmen, teeth of file with rough surface, evenly spaced, gradually decreasing in size towards the distal end, file gradually narrow and sulcate towards distal end; Legs: Genicular lobes of fore femora armed with a single spine on inner side and unarmed on outer side; mid and hind genicular lobes with a single spine on both inner and outer sides; fore coxae with a single spine; all femora dorsally and ventrally spineless; tympanum present on fore tibia, the opening is directed towards dorsal side with a pair of small pits laterally just below the tympanum; fore and mid tibiae dorsally unarmed; fore tibiae ventrally armed with 6 spines on inner margin; 6 spines on outer margin; mid tibiae ventrally armed with 6 spines on inner margin; 6 spines on outer margin; hind tibiae dorsally with variable number of small spines both inner and outer spines; ventrally hind tibiae with 7 spines on inner margin; 11 small to moderate sized spines arranged on outer margin; single dorsal pair of spurs and two ventral pairs (outer large and inner being small) of spurs present on apical region of hind tibiae. Abdomen: tenth tergite relatively broad with distinct median carina, basal margin concave, apical margin with a pair of obtuse lobes; supra-anal plate triangular, apex sub-obtuse; subgenital plate long with indistinct median carina, apical margin with rounded excision; styles long, cylindrical; cerci thick basally, tapering towards apex; tooth at middle, thick at base, apex with a spine like projection.

Female: Last abdominal tergite with median incision, apical margin rounded; supra-anal plate triangular, with basal groove, apex sub obtuse; subgenital plate as long as broad, apical margin with weak rounded excision; cerci conical, slightly thick, weakly up curved; ovipositor regularly upcurved, slightly surpassing the wings; ovipositor shorter than hind femur.

Material examined: India, Jammu and Kashmir; Kashmir: Pulwama: Rahmoo (33.8600°N, 74.8289°E), 05.08.2019, on grass, (coll. Muzamil Syed Shah). Malangpora (33.8918°N, 74.9811°E), 21.08.2019, on grass, (coll. Muzamil Syed Shah). Tral (33.9342°N, 75.1137°E), 12.09.2021, on grass, (collected by Muzamil Syed Shah). Shopian, Now Pora, Allowpora (33.7317°N, 74.8938°E), 20.09.2019, on grass, (coll. Muzamil Syed Shah). Kulgam, 33.6450°N, 75.0180°E, 20.09.2019, on grass, (coll. Muzamil Syed Shah). Srinagar: Bemina 34.076550 ° N, 74.774666°E, on grass, (coll. Muzamil Syed Shah), Zakura 34.1617°N, 74.8317°E, 20.09.2019 Budgam: Doodhpathri, (33.8568°N, 74.5636°E), 20.09.2019, (collected by Muzamil Syed Shah). Kupwara, (34.5262°N, 74.2546°E), 16.08.2021, on grass, (collected by Muzamil Syed Shah). Baramulla, Gulmarg (34.0484°N, 74.3805°E), 20.08.2021, on grass, (collected by Muzamil Syed Shah). Bandipora 34.5052°N, 74.6869°E, 22. 08. 2021, (coll. Muzamil Syed Shah). Anantnag, Chandanwarri (34.0145°N, 75.3186°E), 24.08.2021, (coll. Muzamil Syed Shah). Ganderbal 34.2165°N, 74.7719°E 25.08.2021, (collected by Muzamil Syed Shah).

Distribution: India-Andaman & Nicobar Island, Arunachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

Elsewhere: Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Java, Malaysia, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines and Sierra Leone.

Remarks: Conocephalus maculatus were found on tall grasses and mixed deciduous forest areas adjacent to agricultural fields. The specimens were collected from these areas during the day.