Epipleoneura lencionii Pessacq & Anjos-Santos & Carvalho & Calvão & Mendoza-Penagos & Juen 2022, sp. n.

Epipleoneura lencionii sp. n. Pessacq & Anjos-Santos

(Figures 1a–d, 2, 5, 7)

Epipleoneura venezuelensis: Lencioni 2005: 183, figs. 113a–b (illustration of male S10 and caudal appendages in lateral view, male epiproct in posterior view).

Holotype. 1 ♂ (LABECO), Brazil, Acre State, Rio Branco, Chácara Otilia, Ponto AC-01, segment 4 (10º7′38.5″S; 67º38′6.7″W), 12.ix.2017, Miguel, T.B. leg. Paratypes. Same as holotype except: 1 ♂ (LABECO), Ponto AC-01, segment 8; 1 ♂ (LABECO), Fazenda Experimental Catuaba, Ponto AC-04, segment 1 (10º4′17.9″ S; 67º36′54.1″W); 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (in tandem) (LABECO), same as previous; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (in tandem), same as previous except: Ponto AC-09, segment 5 (10º4′8.4″S; 67º36′18″W), 20.ix.2017; 1♂, 1♀ (in tandem), same as previous except: Assis County, small stream, Ponto PCPE5 (10º54′11″S; 69º31′16″W), 21.viii.2022; 7 ♂♂ same as previous except: Ponto PCPE9 (10º53′23.5″ S; 69º36′39″ W), 16.viii.2022, C.C. Mendoza leg.

Additional material examined. (subsequently lost in MNRJ fire). 7 ♂♂, Brazil, Minas Gerais State, Guburana, 5 km from Nova União (about 19º41′17″S, 43º35′00″W), 14. vii.1982, Ruis leg. All material labeled as “ Epipleoneura, para estudar” (Epipleoneura to study), sentence included by Prof. J.M. Costa. 1 ♂, same as previous except Rio Ouro Preto, Nova União, Rio da Anta (about 19º41′17″ S, 43º35′00″ W), 23.xii.1983, L.F. Netto leg., Labeled as Epipleoneura venezuelensis.

Etymology. This species is named after Frederico A. A. Lencioni, a great motivator for the continuity of our studies with Odonata and the first to report the identification of this species.

Description of male holotype

Head. Dorsally metallic green; antennifer black, with a dorsal carina; frons black, angulate; postclypeus black, anteclypeus yellow; labrum black, with its apex yellow; genae black; rear of head black, ventrally with a yellow band bordering the eyes; labium and maxilla yellow, sides of mandibles black, remaining yellow.

Thorax. Prothorax black. Mesepisternum metallic green, mesepimeron and metepisternum black with metallic green reflections, metepimeron black with yellow antero-ventral and posterior metallic green areas; pterothoracic venter yellow; coxae and tibia flexor side brown; trochanters, tibia extensor side and basal femur light yellow, remaining femur black; tarsus yellow with black apex. Wings hyaline, venation black; MP ending 0.5 cell distally from the vein descending from subnodus; IR2 and RP3 separated by a short crossvein one cell posterior to their origin; divergence of RP-RA (arculus) at Ax 2, in lefts Hw, distal to it in remaining wings; RP2 beginning at Px 5 in Fw, between Px 3 and 4 (closer to 4) in Hw; IR1 beginning at Px 8 in left Fw and Px 7 in right Fw, at Px 6 in Hw; pt dark brown, about 2/3 underlying cell; 12 Px in Fw, 10 in Hw; one additional intercalary between RP1 and RP2.

Abdomen. Black, ventrally dark brown. S1–3 dorsally metallic green.

Genital ligula. (Figs. 1c–d) lacking internal fold, with a pair of latero-posterior pedunculate processes, apex of S3 with a wide V cleft and lateral corners triangular and directed laterally.

Caudal appendages. Cercus (Figs. 1a–b) is shorter than S10, with a dorsal and a ventral branch, the former well developed, directed postero-dorsally, approximately rounded in cross section and armed with an apical hook. Ventral branch small, developed as a projection of the cercus base. The cercus possesses a well-developed inner-basal branch directed meso-ventrally, and its apex is directed posteriorly (Fig. 1a). Paraproct conical. Epiproct (Fig. 1a) with two short, rounded, apical lobes and two lateral lobes directed outwards, approximately parallel to the epiproct transversal axis and approximately in the same plane as the surface of the epiproct.

Measurements. Total length 35; abdomen length 30; Fw: 19; Hw: 18.

Description of female

Head. Dorsally metallic green, antennifer dorsum black, front yellow; antefrons yellow with dorsal margin and a spot under each antennifer black; postclypeus black, anteclypeus light yellow; labrum yellow, with a basal median black spot; genae yellow; distal half of head venter yellow, remaining black; labrum and maxilla yellow.

Thorax. Prothorax dorsal surface metallic green, ventrally bordered by a yellow stripe, remaining lateral surface light brown; posterior lobe (Fig. 2) with an erected medial lobe, its anterior margin with a shallow concavity, its posterior margin straight, not surpassing the level of the lateral lobes; there is a rounded basal posterior process (indicated PP in Fig. 2) on the posterior margin of the medial lobe. Mesothorax metallic green, except for a yellow stripe below the mesopleural suture; metathorax yellow, except for a brown stripe at the posterior half of the metopleural suture; pterothoracic venter yellow; legs yellow, except for the brown apex of femora and tibia.

Abdomen. Dorsally black with metallic green reflections, remaining yellow; apex of S3–7 with black color extending ventrally, the base of S3–7 with yellow color extending dorsally.

Variation in paratypes. Divergence of RP-RA (arculus) distal to Ax 2 in all specimens. Px: Fw 10 (62.5%), 11 (37.5%); Hw 9 (100%). RP2: at Px 3 (25%), 4 (25%), between 4 and 5 (25%), and 5 (25%) in Fw; at Px 3 in Hw in all specimens. IR1: at Px 6 (25%), and 7 (75%) in Fw; at Px 6 (75%) or 7 (25%) in Hw. In eight males collected in Assis County (10º54′11″S; 69º31′16″W) in 2022, the lateral lobes of the epiproct are in the same plane as the surface of the epiproct, but they are directed latero-distally at an angle of about 45º with respect to the transversal axis.

Measurements. (males n = 4, females n = 2): Male: total length 24.9–27.32 [mean 30.1; Standard Deviation (SD) 0.45]; abdomen length 24.9–27.32 [mean 30.1; SD 0.45]; Fw 18–19 [mean 18.2; SD 0.45]; Hw 17–17.5 [mean 17.1; SD 0.53]. Female: total length 24.9–27.32 [mean 30.1; SD 0.45]; abdomen length 24.9–27.32 [mean 30.1; SD 0.45]; Fw 18–19 [mean 18.2; SD 0.45]; Hw 17–17.5 [mean 17.1; SD 0.53].

Variation in additional material. Divergence of RP-RA (arculus) distal to Ax 2 in all specimens. Venation: Px: Fw 10 (66.6%), 11 (45%), 12 (8,3%); Hw 9 (50%), 10 (50%). RP2: at Px 5 in Fw in all specimens except for one in right wing at Px 4; at Px 3 in Hw in all specimens except for two specimens at Px 4 in one wing each. IR1: at Px 6 (25%), 7 (58,33%) or 8 (16,6%) in Fw; at Px 6 (75%) or 7 (25%) in Hw.

Measurements (n = 6): Total length 24.9–27.32 [mean 30.1; SD 0.45]; abdomen length 24.9–27.32 [mean 30.1 SD 0.45]; Fw 18–19 [mean 18.2; SD 0.45]; Hw 17–17.5 [mean 17.1; SD 0.53].

Differential diagnosis. In the males of E. lencionii, the epiproct (Fig. 1a) posses two rounded apical lobes and two lateral lobes directed outwards, approximately parallel with respect to the transversal axis of the epiproct and approximately in the same plane as the surface of the epiproct. In the female, the posterior lobe of the prothorax (Fig. 2) posses an erected medial lobe, with its anterior margin with a shallow concavity, and its posterior margin straight, not surpassing the level of the lateral lobes in dorsal view (Fig. 2), additionally, there is a rounded process with a basal position on the posterior side of the posterior lobe (posterior process in Fig. 2a–b).

The male cercus and epiproct of E. lencionii resemble those of E. venezuelensis, its sibling species. In both taxa, the epiproct is very similar; the rounded apical lobes and the lateral lobes (Fig. 1) separate them from other described species of Epipleoneura. However, in E. venezuelensis (Fig. 1e) the lateral lobes of the epiproct are directed latero-distally at an angle of 45º or more with respect to the transversal axis of the epiproct, lying below the plane corresponding to the surface of the epiproct, bent down and nearly perpendicular to it in some specimens (Fig. 1e) while in E. lencionii, as aforementioned, the lateral lobes are approximately parallel to the transversal axis and lie approximately in the same plane (Fig. 1a). The genital ligula is very similar in both species.

In the females, the posterior lobe of the prothorax differs between the two species. In E. venezuelensis, the medial lobe forms a deep scoop-like process, with its posterior margin rounded and extending posteriorly, exceeding the level of the lateral lobes in dorsal view (Fig. 3a), while in E. lencionii there is a shallow concavity in the medial lobe, and its posterior margin is straight and does not surpass the level of the lateral lobes (Fig. 1a). Additionally, in E. lencionii there is a rounded posterior process on the medial lobe (Figs. 2a–b) that does not extend dorsally. In E. venezuelensis this process is elongated dorso-ventrally, contacting the dorsal margin of the medial lobe (Figs. 3b–c). In some specimens of E. venezuelensis, this structure is rounded (Fig. 3b), while in others its posterior margin is more or less straight. We studied 23 females of E. venezuelensis from eight populations, and the posterior margin of the pronotum of these specimens is like that described for the female specimens of E. venezuelensis from Venezuela (Santos 1957) (Fig. 4), close to the type locality, the drawings presented in Pessacq (2014), and the photograph of a female from Venezuela (Fig. 4).

Studying the photographs of Epipleoneura females provided by R.W. Garrison, we observed specimens with a prothorax morphology very similar or the same as E. lencionii, with a shallow concavity in the prothorax medial lobe (material from Bolivia and Brazil in Amazonas state) and specimens with a morphology closer to E. venezuelensis (material from Ecuador, Brazil [Pará, and Rondônia states] and Paraguay), with a deep scoop-like process in the prothorax medial lobe.

Some male specimens of E. lencionii collected in Assis County show similar morphology to E. venezuelensis, that is, the lateral lobes of the epiproct are directed latero-distally, but with an angle less than 45º in relation to the transverse axis of the epiproct. However, the associated female possesses the typical morphology of the species. The morphological difference observed is more evident in females than in males, in the case of intermediate male morphology (i.e., lateral lobes of the epiproct not parallel to the transverse axis but not 45º to it), the male identification depends on the association with females.

Habitat and reproductive behavior. Adult E. lencionii individuals were collected between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM near small streams, in areas dominated by disturbed pastures as well as areas with greater forest cover (Table 1). These streams drained a matrix of agriculture and regenerating forests.

Regarding the species’ reproductive behavior (Fig. 7), males were found perched on dry branches or on the tips of leaves approximately 1 meter above the water surface. Disputes between males for territory control were observed. Tandem and copulation occur on the branches and leaves found on the stream bank. After finishing copulation, both descend in tandem towards the stream channel in search of a suitable place for oviposition (where the current is slow). The male holds the female for approximately 4–6 seconds, while she submerges her abdomen to oviposit, after which she is released. The female remains with her abdomen submerged in the water for 10 to 15 seconds. The substrate chosen for oviposition are the fine roots of aquatic plants. These are the first observations of the reproductive behavior in Epipleoneura.

Distribution. Central and west Brazil, in Acre and Minas Gerais States (Fig. 5). All type material was collected in Acre, the type locality is in Rio Branco, at 10º7′38.5″ S; 67º38′6.7″ W. The additional material studied, lost in the MNRJ fire, was collected close to Nova União City, Minas Gerais State (about 19º41′17″ S, 43º35′00″ W).