Table Of ContentOdonatologica21(2):247-252 June 1, 1992
Progomphusamarillus spec. nov.
from eastern Mexico
(Anisoptera: Gomphidae)
K.J. Tennessen
1949 Hickory Avenue, Florence, Alabama 35630,United States
Received December 18, 1991 /Revised and AcceptedFebruary2, 1992
Thenewsp.(holotype6,allotype 5;Ciudad Valles,StateofSanLuis Potosi,27-
VI-1990; depositedinUNAM,Mexico) is described and illustrated.Itis uniquein
the genus bypossessing athickcomblike setofblack, stout,sharp setaeontheapex
ofeach paraproct. The nearestrelative appears tobeP. mexicanus Belle,from which
both sexes canbe further distinguishedby the interrupted 1stlateral thoracic stripe
and yellowcerealtips; also, 6 with venterofcerci yellowonapicalhalfandinferior
appendageswith lowsupero-extemaltoothandno sharpteeth onbifid apex; 5 U-
shapednotch ofvulvar laminaas wideas lateral arm.
INTRODUCTION
BELLE(1973) treated53 species ofProgomphus as valid in his revision of
the genus;9 species have been describedsince, bringing the totalto 62 (see ST.
QUENTIN, 1974; BELLE, 1975, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1991; KNOPF &
TENNESSEN, 1980; DE MARMELS, 1983). BELLE (1991) synonymized P.
williamsiNeedhamwith P. clendoniCalvert. The discovery ofthe new species
described inthis paper brings the current total again to62.
The new species was discovered in east-central Mexico in the state of San
Luis Potosi. Ten species ofProgomphus are now known to occur in Mexico.
Both sexes possess a midventral process on abdominalsegment 1, placing the
species inthe subgenus Neaprogomphus Carle.Themaleandfemalespecimens
collectedwere the only individualsseen.
The improbability offinding additionalspecimens inthe nearfuture andthe
hope thatthe data presented herewill aidtaxonomic study and stimulatefurther
collecting havepromptedthispublication. Muchremainstobelearnedconcerning
the systematics ofProgomphus in Mexico.
248 K.J. Tennessen
PROGOMPHUS AMARILLUS SPEC. NOV.
Figures 1-11
Material. - Holotype6: MEXICO,State ofSanLuis Potosi,sulfur laden streamnearHotel
Taninul,Ciudad Valles, 27-VI-1990, K.J.Tennessen leg.To be depositedinCollection Universidad
Nacional Autonomade Mexico,Mexico D. F. — Allotype 9; same data. Preserved withacetone
and stored dry incellophaneenvelopes.
Etymology. —Amarillo,meaningyellowin Spanish,referringtothe extensivebrightyellow
markingsofthemale andespecially thefemale.
MALE(holotype) — Head. — Antennaebrown; labrumpale greenwithlight
brown basal medianspot widenedbasally; anteclypeus pale green,postclypeus
brown except pale green laterally; antefronsbrown on ventral half, pale green
above; postfrons (vertex) pale green anteriorly, dark brown basally; postocellar
ridge slightly concave, withlateralprotuberances yellowish brown; occiput gree-
nish-yellow dorsally; occipital ridge brown, very slightly sinuate medially in
anteriorview(Fig. 1); rear of headdark brownwith around yellow medianspot
below occipital ridge; compound eyes dark gray in life.
Thorax. — Middle lobe of prothorax greenish-yellow with dark brown
medianfurrow;hindlobe black withnumerouserect, long pale setae. Pterothorax
(Fig.2) darkbrownwith greenish-yellow stripes;middorsalcarinayellow,antealar
crestblack; firstpale antehumeralstripe not connectedwithpale stripes oncollar;
second pale antehumeral stripe nearly full-length (3.7 mm), but isolated from
otherpale stripes; first lateralstripe interrupted atmiddle;secondandthirdlateral
stripes complete; metkatepistemum pale; sternum grayish-brown. Wings hyaline,
no brown in extreme base; anterioredge of costa yellow; fore wings with 16
(left) or 17 (right) antenodalcrossveins, 8 (1) or9 (r) postnodals; hind wings
with 11 (I) or 12 (r) antenodals, 10postnodals; basalsubcostal crossvein present
inall wings; triangles 3-celledin forewings,2-celledinhindwings; subtriangles
2-celled; pterostigma surmounting 6 cells, except S'/i in left fore wing. Legs:
hind femoradark brownwith black spurs; tibiaeblackish-brown, tarsi and claws
black; hind tibia% length ofhind femur.
Abdomen. — Segments 1-7brown withgreenish-yellow markings as fol-
lows:medianandlowersidesofsegments I and2,auriclesplus rectangular area
dorsaland ventraltoauricles, baseofsegment3, extending posteriorly onmedian
andlateroventralarea, base ofsegments4-7,extending posteriorly on medianto
sharply pointed apex (Fig. 8); basal yellow mark largest on segment7; segment
7 also with a lateroventral yellow triangle at half-length. Segments 8-10 dark
brown dorsally, yellowish-brown laterally. Posteriorhamulesstout, with5 black,
low basoventral tubercles, greenish-brown basally, light brown apically, hook
black at apex (Figs 3, 4). Cerci dark brown in basalthird, pale yellow beyond
(Fig. 5); basolateraltooth stout, 0.15 mm long, set offfrom 8 smaller teeth on
ventralcarinaby a deep notch(Figs 6, 11);tipsofcerci yellow. Lobesofepiproct
Progomphusamarillus sp.n. 249
Figs 1-7. Progomphus amarillus sp. n.: (1) occiput ofmale, frontal view; — (2) male thoracic
pattern; — (3)posteriorhamules, ventralview; — (4) posteriorhamule, lateralview; — (5)male
cerci, dorsal view; — (6)male appendages,lateral view; — (7)male appendages,ventralview.
(inferior appendages) in ventral view curvedinward (Fig. 7),tips bifid without
sharp teeth, supero-extemal tooth low, rounded (Fig. 11). Paraprocts with an
apical lobebearing numerouslong, black, very stout,sharp setaedirectedpostero-
medially (Figs. 5, 7).
Measurements (mm). — Total length (incl. cerci) 54.0, abdomen 41.0, hind wing 29.5,
pterostigmaoffore wing4.2,hind femur5.0.
250 K.J. Tennessen
Figs 8-10. Progomphus amarillus sp. n.: (8)male abdominal segments 5 & 6, dorsal view; — (9)
female, same; — (10)vulvar lamina, ventral view.
female (allotype). — Head. — Color pattern similar to 6, except brown
areas slightly paler; compound eyes in lifedarker gray than in male.
Thorax. — Color pattern similar to S except as follows: brown color
slightly paler; first lateral stripe not as widely interrupted; antealar crest partly
yellow; sternum yellow. Anterioredgeofcosta less yellow thaninmale,in hind
wings yellow only nearnodus; forewings with 16 (left) or 15 (right) antenodal
crossveins, 8 (1)or9(r) postnodals; hind wings with 11 antenodals,9 postnodals.
Pterostigma surmounting 5’A to 6V2 cells.
Abdomen. — Yellow markings more extensive than in 6; narrow yellow
dorsal stripes fulllength on segments 2-7,but extremely narrow onsegments 6
and 7; elongate basolateral yellow spots join basally to form U-shaped spots 'A
length ofrespective segment(Fig. 9); pale spots on segment7yellowish-orange;
segment 7 with midlateralyellowish-orange spot; lateraland ventralaspects of
tergaofsegments 1-7completely yellow; segment8 mostlybrown, darkdorsally,
lighterbrownlaterally withasmallyellowtriangularspot ventrolaterally; segment
9 dark brown dorsally, lightbrown laterally; segment 10lightbrown,with small
black denticlesdorsalto bases ofcerci; cerci 1.65 mm long, yellowexcept small
pale brown area medially at base, tips yellow. Stemites2-7 dark brown, 8-10
lighter brown. Vulvar laminaU-shaped (Fig. 10), slightly more than 1A length
ofninthsternum,about 'A length ofeighth sternum.
Measurements (mm). —Total length51.0, abdomen 38.0, hind wing31.0, pterostigmaof
fore wing4.7,hind femur 5.0.
Progomphusamarillus sp.n. 251
COMPARISONWITHP. MEXICANUS BELLE
InBELLE’skey (1973), the newspecies keys toP.mexicanusBelle.Thetwo
species can be distinguished by several colorpattern and morphological charac-
ters.
Males: 1stpale antehumeral stripe ofthorax not connected withpale areaof
collar in amarillus, connected in mexicanus; 1st lateral stripe interrupted in
amarillus, complete in mexicanus; dorsal yellow spot on abdominalsegment 7
barely more than half segment length and posterior portion only Vs segment
widthinamarillus, comparedto2/3 segmentlengthand nearly as wideas segment
in mexicanus; hamules shorter and apical hook larger and more recurved in
amarillus; dorsaland ventral surfacesof cerci dark brownonly in basalthird in
amarillusversus dark brownin basalhalfdorsally andentirelength ventrally in
mexicanus; inferior appendages light brown, supero-external tooth low, tips
without distinct teeth in amarillus(Fig. 11), compared to mostly black, with
large supero-extemal toothand2apical stoutsharp teeth inmexicanus (Fig. 12);
•apical ’’comb” ofblack, sharp, stout setae on paraprocts ofamarillus, versus
pale, widely-spaced, thin setaein mexicanus.The apical black setalcombonthe
paraproct ofamarillusapparently is unique withinthe genus.
Females: 1stpale antehumeraland 1st pale lateralstripes differas inmales;
U-shaped notch of vulvar laminaas wide as lateralarm in amarillus, narrower
than arm inmexicanus. Tipsofcerci inboth sexes yellow inamarillus, black in
mexicanus.Also, thecontrast betweenthe brownand yellow markings is greater
inamarillusthan inmexicanus.
Theonly other gomphidcollectedatthetype localitywasAphyllaangustifoliaGarrison. Asingle
male ofProgomphusclendoni was collectedatasitefarther North, Cascadas Micos.
Figs 11-12. Lateral view oflower,basal portionofmale cercusand epiprocl:(11)P. amarillus sp.
n.; — (12)P. mexicanus.
252 K.J. Tennessen
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ithank ENRIQUEGONZALEZforarrangingthe collectingtriptoSan Luis Potosi duringwhich
Icollected the new species. I thank SIDNEY DUNKLE forthe loan ofa male ofProgomphus
mexicanus fromSinaloaandforcomments onthemanuscript, andMINTERWESTFALL,Jrforthe
loan ofa paratype male ofP. mexicanus from Costa Rica, and JERRELL JAMESDAIGLE for
collecting companionship,comments, and inspiringmeto completethis paper.
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