Table Of ContentOdonatologica32(1):39-45 February24, 2003
Forest damselfliesof thePhilippines,
theirevolutionandpresent status,
withthedescription of
Drepanostictamooreispec. nov. fromLuzon
(Zygoptera: Platystictidae)
J.Van To¹l andR.A.Mülle²r
'National Museum ofNatural HistoryNaturalis,P.O.Box9517,NL-2300 RALeiden,The Netherlands
e-mail: [email protected]
2Rehetobelstrasse99,CH-9016 St.Gallen,Switzerland
Received June 26,2002/AcceptedAugust30,2002
D.mooreisp.n.(holotype6:Philippines,Luzon,NuevaViscaya,StaFe,AtboRiver,
550-800m, 10-VI-1991,inRMNH)isdescribed,andillustrated.ItiscloselyrelatedtoD.
belyshevi Hamalainen from the Philippines.Some generalremarks onthe historical
biogeographyandthepresentstatusofthefamilyaremade.Thecurrentdistribution ofthe
family(SEAsia,MiddleandnorthernSouthAmerica)presumablydatesbacktotheUpper
Cretaceous.
INTRODUCTION
The familyPlatystictidae seems tobeawell-establishedmonophyletic taxon (e.g.
JARZEMBOWSKI etal„ 1998),basedonthepresenceof a“basal post-cubital vein”
(FRASER, 1957). BECHLY(1995)doubtsthe homology ofthe latterwiththe post-
-cubitalveininthe‘ancientzygopteroid stock’ (e.g. Kennedya Tillyard),andconsiders
itthegenuineCuP.Thepresenceofthisveinis acharacterthateasily distinguishes this
family fromotherZygoptera, andis anapomorphy ratherthan aplesiomorphy inthe
Platystictidae (JARZEMBOWSKIetal., 1998).The family canalsobeidentifiedby
someotherstructuralfeatures, suchas the groundplanoftheanalappendages andthe
structure ofthe so-calledgomphine-shaped laterallobes ofthe labium.However,the
diagnostic charactersof, andtherelationships betweenthe generaare atpresent still
unclear.
Inthe field, almostall SEAsian species are inconspicuous, brownand brownish
black, confinedtoseepagesandsmallerstreams. Mostspecies move very littleduring
40 J.vanTol&R.A.Muller
the day.Withtheircrypticcolorationtheyare difficulttofindamongdensevegetation.
The males ofsome species have abrightblue spot atthe tipof theabdomen,which
perfectly mimicsthewater dropsatthetipofthinbranchesintheforest,thevery sites
whereDrepanosticta LaidlawandProtostictaSelys restduring the day.
Thefamily occurs insoutheasternAsia,fromSri Lankaover India, southernChina
andMalaysia, intotheIndonesiauptotheSolomonIslands.Drepanosticta palauensis
Lieftinckis known from Palau(LIEFTINCK, 1962). Most species of SE Asia are
assignedtothePlatystictinae, butrecently MATSUKI& SAITO(1996)andWILSON
&REELS(2001)foundtwo species forwhichthesubfamilySinostictinaewaserected
by WILSON (1997). Another subfamily, thePalaemnematinae,occurs in Middle
Americaandinthe northwesternpartofSouthAmerica.AllNewWorld species are
assigned tothegenusPalaemnemaSelys. Severaloftheseare remarkably similarto
thoseofSEAsia,bothingeneral appearanceand instructural details,such as theanal
appendages.
Although thehistoricalbiogeography of thefamily shouldbeinvestigated inmore
detail,basedonphylogenetic andpreferably alsomolecularstudies, our hypothesisis
thatitspresent geographic patterngoes backtothe LateCretaceous (ca65Ma). The
familywasatthetimepresumably distributedoverLaurasiaandnorthernNorthAmerica.
Theclimatewas tropical, and Europe andAmericawere stillconnected.Aftertheir
separation,theclimatebecamelessfavourablefortropicalbiota.Apparently,ancestors
ofthe present Platystictidae movedsouthward,following the tropical conditions, in
bothNorthAmericaandLaurasia.ThepresenceofPalaemnemainSouthAmericais
presumably ratherrecentingeological terms,following theemergenceof theIsthmus
ofPanama,theconnectionofNorthandSouthAmericaabout3Ma(COATES, 1999).
MostofthePhilippineDrepanosticta species are structurally moresimilartothose
oftheMoluccas(undescribed species) andNewGuineathantothemainlandspecies.
Thecharacteristicstructures includelargeprocesses posteriorly on theposteriorlobe
ofthepronotumandrelatively simple maleanalappendages. Theyarealsoparticularly
dullincoloration.Wehypothesize thatthispatternis duetothepresenceofanisland
arc along the Pacific plate during the Oligocène andMiocene (20-30 Ma) (HALL,
1998).
DREPANOSTICTA OF THEPHILIPPINES
DIVERSITY. — Drepanosticta isa very largegenus, withpresently 87 validspecies
describedandmorethan20awaitingdescriptioninthecollectionoftheLeidenMuseum
alone,mostly fromthePhilippines, theMoluccasandNew Guinea.Mostspecies have
smalldistributionalranges.Thesituationmayprove evenmorecomplex, since many
species showsignificant geographical variation(cf.e.g.VANTOL, 1999,forSulawesi
Protosticta). Although themorphological differencesbetweensuch populations may
be rather small, it is not unlikely that thesepopulations are separated formillionsof
years.Molecularstudiesby thefirstauthortoaddress thisproblem are inpreparation.
Drepanostictamoorei sp.n. 41
Asignificant numberoftheundescribedspecies fromthePhilippineswere collected
bythesecondauthorandhiscollaboratorsinthe1980’sand1990’s.Generalinformation
ofthis collection, whichis nowhousedinthe NationalMuseumof Natural History
Naturalis, at Leiden,was published by HAmALAINEN& MULLER (1997),where
alsothehistoryofthestudy ofOdonatainthePhilippines is adequatelyoutlined.The
firstDrepanostictaspecies were describedby BRAUER (1868),viz.D. halterataand
D. lestoides.It isremarkablethat Semper also collectedsuch inconspicuous insects,
whichsuggeststhatthesemusthavebeenverycommon.Thefirstspeciesisstillcommon
indeedintheareastudiedby Semper, butD.lestoidesisnot commonatallnow. See
alsoTableIforalistofthe 13nominaltaxa, representing 12 species, describedfrom
the Philippines up to date. D. septima Needham & Gyger was considered by
HAMALAINEN& MULLER(1997) apossible synonymofD. mylettaCowley.
Apart from the species described hereunder,more than ten new species will be
describedinarevisionofthePhilippine Platystictidae (VANTOL,2003).
CONSERVATION. — Likeallbiotaconfinedtotropical forestsandcharacterizedby
smalldistributionalranges,mostPlatystictidae areunderseriousthreat.ThePhilippine
forestsrankhigh amongthetropical forestsofsoutheastern Asia,andthey are under
severepressureofdegradationanddestruction.Thetotalsurfaceofthe7100islandsof
thePhilippines amountstojust over 300,000km2.Thetotalforestcoveris ca20%,of
whichless than 3%primary forest.AnFAO reportsuggeststhatless than 1million
hectaresof“oldgrowth”dipterocarp forestremain.
The humanpopulation amounts to ca 62 million, while the total surface ofthe
archipelago is similartoItalyinEurope, ortoNewMexicointheUSA. Accordingto
arough estimate, nearly500haofsecondary forest disappear daily. Atpresent more
than90% ofthe forestis already destroyed; on someislandshardlyany forestis left
(e.g.lessthan3%onthe
islandof Negros). The Table 1
bestforestremnants can Nominal taxa ofDrepanosticta fromthe Philippines(in chronological
be found on Palawan, order)
whichis inhabitedby a
SSppeecciieess--ggrroouupp OOrriiggiinnaallggeennuuss AAuutthhoorr((ss))
completely different
nnaammee
floraandfaunaand,bio-
geographically doesnot hhaalllteerraaltaa PPllaattyyssttiiccttaa BBRRAAUUEERR., 11886688::555511
form a part of the lleessttooiiddeess PPllaattyyssttiiccttaa BBRRAAUUEERR,, 11886688::555522
Philippines. aannnnuullaattaa PPllaattyyssttiiccttaa SSEELLYYSS,, 11888866:: 115566
mmyylleettttaa DDrreeppaannoossttiiccttaa CCOOWWLLEEYY,, 11993366:: 116600
Conservation
llyymmeettttaa DDrreeppaannoossttiiccttaa CCOOWWLLEEYY,, 11993366::116611
Internationaldescribes mmeeggaammeettttaa DDrreeppaannoossttiiccttaa CCOOWWLLEEYY,, 11993366:: 116633
the Philippines as “the ttrriimmaaccuulalatata DDrreeppaannoossttiiccttaa LLIIEEFFTTIINNCCKK,,11993399::114499
hottestof hotspots”. aarriieess DDrreeppaannoossttiiccttaa NNEEEEDDHHAAMM&&GGYYGGEERR,, 11994411;; 114444
Approximately 50%of ttaauurruuss DDrreeppaannoossttiiccttaa NNEEEEDDHHAAMM&&GGYYGGEERR,, 11994411::114455
pphhiilliippppaa DDrreeppaannoossttiiccttaa LLIIEEFFTTIINNCCKK,, 11996611:: 113322
the 8000 native plant cceerraattoopphhoorraa DDrreeppaannoossttiiccttaa LLIIEEFFTTIINNCCKK,, 11997744:: 111177
species are endemic. bbeellyysshheevvii DDrreeppaannoossttiiccttaa HHAÄMMAÄLLAÄIINNEENN,, 11999911::6655
42 J.vanTol&R.A.Muller
Thenumberofnameddragonflyspecies ofthePhilippines isca250(HAMALAINEN
&MULLER, 1997),ofwhichmorethan50%areendemic,includingallDrepanosticta
species. ItisfortunatethatnoneoftheDrepanosticta species isundersuchanimmediate
threatas itis forexample theplatycnemidid RisiocnemisseidenschwarziHamalainen
(HAmALAINEN, 2000),confinedtoastretchof30mofstreamintheTabunanforest
of Cebu. On thisisland, withatotal surface areaof 1707squaremi(4400km2),not
morethan 145haofprimary forestare left(pers. comm.Dr Hamalainen,2002).
We arehonoured tobe able tocontribute this short paper tothe Festschrift onthe occasion ofDr
NormanW. Moore's80thbirthday. ThroughDr Moore’s efforts,Odonata arehighon the international
agendaofinvertebrate conservation andprotection(e.g.MOORE, 1997).NamingoneofthePhilippine
forestdamselflies afterhimis morethanappropriate.
DREPANOSTICTA MOOREI SP. NOV.
Figures1-5
Platystictaannulata SELYS, 1886: 156
Drepanostictasp.,LIEFTINCK, 1961: 136(specimen“588”inSelyscollection,IRSN
Brussels,aparalectotypeofDrepanostictaannulata[Selys],notconspecificwithlectotype).
Drepanostictasp.n.note7; HAMALAINEN& MULLER, 1997:257,276-277,
Material. — Holotype3,Philippines,Luzon,NuevaViscaya, StaFe,AtboRiver, 550-800m, 10-
-VI-1991 /R.A.Mullerleg./coll. R.A.Muller[JvT22225],coll.RMNH. - Paratypes(allexcoll.R.A.
Muller,nowinRMNH):Luzon,NuevaViscaya, DaltonPass,850-900m,8/9-VI-1991,R.A.Muller, 1<J;
- samesiteasholotype, 11cj 109; - Luzon,Nueva Ecija,Caranglan,BatchingRiver,700-850 m, 11-
-VI-1991,R.A.Mullerleg.,2S\ —Luzon, Auroraprov.,Dilalongan,SitioBiyak,Dibaraybay,3/15-VII-
-1996,300-500m,CelsoM,Nazareno leg.; - Luzon, ZambalesProv.,Masinloc, MtGoto,Tal-tal,400-
-700m,April1/8-IV-1997,C.M.Nazareno leg.
Etymology. —NamedafterDrNormanW. Moore, forhiscontributions totheconservation of
Odonata.
Aremarkableandunmistakablespecies by thepronotumstructure;thecolorationof
the synthorax isalso differentfromthatinmostotherPhilippine congeners.
MALE[JvT 22225,Luzon,NuevaViscaya]. - Head. - Labrumandanteclypeus
very clearblue,anteriorborderof labrumwithnarrow black line; mandiblesbrown,
but innerbasal comerblue; rest of headbronze-black; parorbital carina distinct;
postoccipital carinaindistinctandlacking conspicuous extremities.
Thorax. — Pronotum(Fig. 3) with anteriorand medianlobe yellowish, lateral
lobebrown,posteriorlobedirtyyellow;anteriorlobeapproximately halfway eachside
withvery long subcylindrical process, touching medianlobe, andreaching virtually
hindmarginofcentralportion ofposteriorlobe; medianandlaterallobessimple; hind
lobelaterally withenormous collar, half-round, nearly twiceas long asbasal partof
posterior lobe; lateralmargin with long andthin setae. Synthorax bronze-black, but
metepistemum nearly fullygreenishyellow,and dorso-posteriorthirdofmetepimeron
greenishyellow.Legs dirtyyellow.Wingswith 13Pxinforewing, 13Pxinhindwing;
originofR4+5just distaltonodus,R3 arises6 cellsdistaltonodusinforewing,5 cells
Drepanostictamooreisp.n. 43
Figs 1-5.Drepanostictamooreisp. n.:(1)maleanal appendages,dorsal view; — (2) same,left lateral
view; — (3)male pronotum,obliqueview; — (4)pterostigmarighthind wing,male; — (5)femalelast
abdominal segments.
inhindwing; Arculusjust distaltoAx2, distinctly stalked; Acand Abforming aY,
hardly stalked; numberofcellsbetweendistalendofquadrangle andplacewhereCuP
meetshindmarginofwinginforewing5,inhindwing7;pterostigma(Fig. 4)brown,
withanarrow palelineagainst veins; ca 1.6 timeslongerthanhigh, theproximal side
oblique, thedistalsiderounded;veinsdistadtopterostigma undivided.
Abdomen. — Brown, butbasal one-tenthof segment3, basal one-sixth of
segments4-6,basalone-thirdofsegment7dirtyyellow; segments8-10tergitesbrown.
Appendages (Figs 1-2)greyish brown,topofinferiorscastaneous;superiors withbasal
one-fourthstout,restnarrowindorsalview,actually strongly flatteneddorso-ventrally,
andbroadlytriangularinlateralview;inferiorsinventralviewsubparallel, thetopbent
outward,theninwardinasemicircle, inlateralviewthetopbendsin90°.
Measurements (inmm). - Abdomenincludingappendagesca37,hind wing22.
FEMALE. — Very similartomale, including coloration,andstructure ofpronotum;
segments 8-10brown,anal appendage lightbrown, genital valvessurpassing apexof
44 J.vanTol &R.A.Muller
appendages (Fig. 5).
DIFFERENTIALdiagnosis. — ThisspeciesdiffersfromotherspeciesofthePhilippine
islands by the long processeson the anteriorlobeof the pronotum.This characteris
presentinbothmalesandfemales.TheonlyotherPhilippine specieswithlongprocesses
ontheanteriorlobeofthepronotumis D. belyshevi Hämäläinen(typelocality Panaon
Is.), characterizedby thestrongly curved,slenderprocessesoftheposteriorlobeofthe
pronotum,andpalemarkingsintheposteriorthirdsofmetepistemumandmetepimeron
(in somespecimens alsoofmesepimeron).
distribution. — CentralLuzon(provinces NuevaViscaya, NuevaEcija, Aurora
and Zambales). Apparently itoccurs inlow densities over arelatively large area. In
larger numbersfoundatthetypelocality only.
RELATIONSHIPS. — Basedonthehighlycharacteristicprocesses oftheanteriorlobe
ofthepronotum. D.mooreisp. n. seems to bemost closely related toD. belyshevi
Hamalainen.Althougha directlinkofthesetwo species tomostoftheotherPhilippine
congenersis not apparent,a closerelationship tothemainlandspecies-groups is also
unlikely.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We aregratefultoDr MATTI HAMALAINEN (Espoo, Finland),who sorted outtheR.A. Muller
collection fromthe Philippines,and washelpfulwithexpert advise.Figures I and2 weremadebyB.
BLANKEVOORTandFigure3by E.J.BOSCH(bothMuseum Naturalis,Leiden).
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