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Damselflies of the genus Argia Rambur, 1842 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) from Mexico, Central America and the Lesser Antilles with descriptions of five new species
Abstract
A total of 73 species of Argia Rambur, 1842 are reported as present from Mexico, Central America and the Lesser Antilles, of which five are new to science and are described here: Argia annae n. sp. (holotype ♂: MEXICO, Veracruz, Puente Texolo, roadside seepages near bridge, 19.4028°N, 96.9867°W, 1065 m, 17 June 2009, Rosser W. Garrison & Natalia von Ellenrieder leg., in CSCA), Argia gonzalezi n. sp. (holotype ♂: MEXICO, Chiapas, 3.5 mi east of Rayón, stream, approximately 17.2058°N, 92.9700°W, 1676 m, 16 July 1965, Dennis R. Paulson leg., in CNIN), A. noveloi n. sp. (holotype ♂: MEXICO, Veracruz, Puente Texolo, 19.4028°N, 96.9867°W, 1065 m, 26 August 1988, Rosser W. Garrison leg., in INECOL), A. paludicola n. sp. (holotype ♂: U. S. A., Arizona, Apache County, Bog Tank, north of Highway 260, 34.0467°N, 109.683°W, 1400 m, 1 July 2016, Pierre Deviche leg., in CSCA) and A. paulsoni n. sp. (holotype ♂: COSTA RICA, San José, 7.5 km northeast of Londres, on road to Rancho Tinamú Lodge, 9.4856°N, 83.9911°W, 700 m, 5 July 2019, William A. Haber leg., in UNH). Redescriptions of male and female are provided for the following species: Argia calida (Hagen, 1861), A. chelata Calvert, 1902, A. deami Calvert, 1902, A. fulgida Navás, 1934, A. herberti Calvert, 1902, A. johannella Calvert, 1907, A. mayi González-Soriano, 2012, A. percellulata Calvert, 1902, A. pocomana Calvert, 1907, A. rogersi Calvert, 1902, A. talamanca Calvert, 1907, A. terira Calvert, 1907, A. underwoodi Calvert, 1907, and
A. variabilis Selys, 1865. All 73 species are measured, illustrated, and distinguished from their congeners. The following synonymies are suggested based on examination of type material: A. wilsoni Calvert, 1902, a junior synonym of A. calida (Hagen, 1861), A. plana Calvert, 1902, a junior synonym of A. funebris (Hagen, 1861), and A. trifoliata Fraser, 1942 (Fig. 736), a junior synonym of A. variegata Förster, 1914. Lectotypes are designated for Agrion calidum Hagen, 1861, Agrion funebris Hagen, 1861, and Argia variabilis Selys, 1865. Keys to the 73 known Argia species from Mexico, Middle America and the Lesser Antilles are provided as well as distribution maps based on an examination of over 16,000 specimens.
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RESUMEN. En la cuenca del Río Moctezuma confluyen tres ecorregiones de ambientes dulceacuícola de Norte América: 1) Manantiales de la cabecera de Río Verde, 2) Tamaulipas-Veracruz y 3) Cuenca del Río Lerrna; y ha sido propuesta por la Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) como área prioritaria para estudios de inventarios biológicos de ecosistemas acuáticos, debido a lo poco que se conoce de su fauna y a la alta presión humana que degrada y fragmenta los ambientes naturales a una velocidad inusitada. Estas perturbaciones antrópicas hacen necesario promover estudios encaminados a conocer la diversidad biológica de la zona, con miras a la conservación de los procesos ecológicos que le confieren su identidad biológica. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo elaborar el listado de odonatos y su distribución en la cuenca del río Moctezuma. Se registran 78 especies pertenecientes a 36 géneros y diez familias; sobresalen la Famila Libellulidae y Coenagrionidae en particular el género Argia por su gran número de especies. Se mencionan cuatro nuevos registros para Guanajuato, cuatro para Hidalgo y uno para San Luis Potosí; resalta por su rareza para la zona Progornphus be/yshevi. Las especies con mayor distribución fueron Hetaerina arnericanay Macrothernis pseudimitans. El70% de las especies registradas están restringidas a una o dos localidades. El 78.5% del suborden Zigoptera y el59.2% del suborden Anisoptera son de afinidad neotropical.
ABSTRACT. The Moctezuma basi¡¡ is located in junction of three North American freshwater ecoregions: 1) Springs in the headwaters ofRio Verde, 2) Rivers and streams in Tamaulipas-Veracruz and 3) Watersheds ofthe Lerma river system and has been considered as a zone oftop priority for the National Board for the knowledge and Use ofthe Biodiversity (CONABIO). The high deterioration rate of the aquatic ecosystems of the Moctezuma river system make necessary to promote and reinforce this kind of studies to gather inforrnation conceming the biological conservation of the ecosystem ecological processes that give biological identity of the area. The main purpose of this study was to know the species of odonata and their distribution in the river Moctezuma Basin. Seventy eight species ofOdonata belonging to 36 genera and 10 families were recorded; the family Libellulidae and Coenagrionidae, Argia genus in particular, are of special interest dueto their great number of species. Four species are new records for Guanajuato, four for Hidalgo and one for San Luis Potosí. Progornphus belishevi is striking.
A ten day collecting trip to Napo province was conducted between January 13 and 23, 2020, visiting localities where W. C. Macintyre originally collected Argia schneideri Garrison & von Ellenrieder, 2017 between 1935 and 1942, with the intention of documenting its life habits and obtaining photographs in life. A total of 65 odonate species in 36 genera were collected, including four new records for Napo province, but the target species was not found. A list of species recorded and color scans of species that have so far not been photographed are included. Color photographs and notes on the habitat of Argia schneideri are made available through the courtesy of colleagues who found it elsewhere, and its current known distribution is discussed.
Here we provide a checklist of the odonates from Amazonas state, Brazil. We registered 324 species and 101 genera, making Amazonas the Brazilian state with the most Odonata species recorded. The families with the highest number of species were Coenagrionidae with 32 genera and 101 species, followed by Libellulidae with 28 genera and 100 species and Gomphidae with 12 genera and 45 species. Some regions of Amazonas state remain poorly explored, such as the southern area, and large municipalities, such as São Gabriel da Cachoeira. This work underlines the importance of the biological diversity from Amazonas state and the Amazonian Biome for Odonata species richness in Brazil and shows that many areas in the world’s largest tropical forest have not yet been sampled.
A summary of the present knowledge on the diversity of Odonata occurring in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) is presented. The work is based on published records, and the results from samplings are carried out between the years 2009 and 2013 in 23 sites. A list of the 67 Odonata species from the CCB is provided including 19 new state records. Finally, the biogeographic affinities, conservation status, and major threats are discussed.
Argia mauffrayi n. sp. (Holotype ♂: ECUADOR, Pichincha Province, San Miguel de Los Bancos Cantón, Recinto Milpe, Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Mirador Uno Trail, 0.0333° N, 78.8661 W, 4 ix 2018, William F. Mauffray leg., in Laboratorio de Zoología Terrestre USFQ [ZSFQ]) is described and illustrated and compared with similar species.
Treinta y una especies de Argia son registradas de Ecuador, de las cuales dos, A. huanacina Förster y A. jocosa Hagen, constituyen nuevos registros para el país, y cinco son nuevas para la ciencia y son descriptas aquí: Argia acridens n. sp. (Holotipo ♂: ECUADOR, Prov. Manabí, 79 km al oeste de Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 0°20' S, 79°46' O, 260 m, 7 Mayo 1975, Paul J. Spangler et al. leg., en USNM), Argia cuspidata n. sp. (Holotipo ♂: ECUADOR, Prov. Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas: 19 km al este de Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 0°18'49'' S, 79°1'44'' O, 740 m, 7 Mayo 1975, A. Langley & J. Cohen leg., en USNM), A. philipi n. sp. (Holotipo ♂: BOLIVIA, Dept. Cochabamba, Prov. Chapare: arroyo 5 km al sur de Villa Tunari, mediodía, 16°59'49" S, 65°24'28" O, 350 m, 4 Noviembre 2001, Jerrell J. Daigle leg., en FSCA), Argia selysi n. sp. (Holotipo ♂: ECUADOR, Prov. Napo: Jatun Yacu, Cuenca del Río Napo, 1°1' S, 77°50' O, 700 m, 18 Abril 1935, William Clarke-Macintyre leg., en UMMZ) y A. tennesseni n. sp. (Holotipo ♂: ECUADOR, Prov. Orellana: arroyo 8.5 km al este de Loreto, 0°37' 6" S, 77°17' 42" O, 360 m, 14 Septiembre 1997, Kenneth J. Tennessen leg., en FSCA). Las nuevas especies son ilustradas y diagnosticadas de sus congéneres, y sus áreas de distribución conocidas son mapeadas. Para ayudar en su identificación, se proveen también ilustraciones y /o mapas de distribución de especies relacionadas, incluyendo a: A. adamsi Calvert, A. difficilis Selys, A. dives Förster, A. huanacina Förster, A. fulgida Navás, A. infrequentula Fraser, A. jocosa Hagen en Selys, A. joergenseni Ris, A. limitata Navás, A. medullaris Selys, A. orichalcea Hagen en Selys y A. ulmeca Calvert. Argia columbiana Navás y A. rectangula Navás son tratadas como sinónimos junior subjetivos de Argia medullaris Selys. Se proporciona una clave para las ocho especies conocidas metálicas rojas de Argia de América del Sur.
The life and works of entomologists who described species of Diptera from Mexico before the publication of the Biologia Centrali-Americana are presented, including some commentaries about the collectors. Here are listed all the Mexican Diptera species-names proposed by Thomas Say (15 species), Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann (35 species), Pierre Justin Marie Macquart (71 species), John Obadiah Westwood (5 species), Bracy Clark (1 species), Francis Walker (91 species), Luigi Bellardi (176 species), Camilo Rondani (5 species), F. Jaennicke (24 species), Edward Adolph Gerstaecker (8 species), Jaques Marie Frangille Bigot (205 species), Alfred Dugès (1 species), Friedrich Moritz Brauer (3 species), F. M. Brauer & J. F. Bergenstamm (13 species), Ermanno Giglio-Tos (177 species), and Ewald Rübsaamen (2 species). Included are a total of 832 specific names of the following 51 current families (in phylogenetic order): Tipulidae, Culicidae, Simuliidae, Anisopodidae, Bibionidae, Ditomyiidae, Mycetophilidae, Sciaridae, Xylomyidae, Stratiomyidae, Tabanidae, Rhagionidae, Pantophtalmidae, Therevidae, Mydidae, Asilidae, Nemestrinidae, Acroceridae, Bombyliidae, Empididae, Dolichopodidae, Syrphidae, Conopidae, Micropezidae, Neriidae, Psilidae, Tanypezidae, Richardiidae, Otitidae, Platystomatidae, Tephritidae, Dryomyzidae, Sepsidae, Sciomyzidae, Lauxaniidae, Lonchaeidae, Ephydridae, Drosophilidae, Chloropidae, Heleomyzidae, Rhinotoridae, Anthomyiidae, Scatophagidae, Muscidae, Hippoboscidae, Streblidae, Nycteribiidae, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Tachinidae, and Cuterebridae. The original reference, type-locality, depository museum or collection, present taxonomic status of each name and additional references are presented.
Seven new species of Argia are described, five of which occur in Costa Rica: Argia calverti n. sp. (Holotype ♂, Costa Rica, Cartago Prov., Tapantí Reserve, 1,310 m, 6 vii 1963, F. G. Thompson leg., in FSCA); Argia carolus n. sp. (Holotype ♂, Costa Rica, San José Prov., El Rodeo Biological Reserve, 7 km W of Villa Colón, 9°54' N, 84°16' W, 561 m, 10–13 vii 1990, T. W. Donnelly leg., in FSCA); Argia elongata n. sp. (Holotype ♂, Costa Rica, Cartago Prov., Reventazón river, SE of Turrialba by highway 10, 9°52'56'' N, 83°38'49'' W, 561 m, 10 viii 1979, R. W. & J. A. Garrison leg., in CSCA); Argia haberi n. sp. (Holotype ♂, Costa Rica, San José Prov., Bosque del Tolomuco, km 118 on Pan American highway, in seeps and trickles through brushy pasture on forested hillside, 9°28'18'' N, 83°41'48'' W, 1,710 m, 27 iii 2006, F. Sibley leg., in FSCA); Argia schorri n. sp. (Holotype ♂, Costa Rica, Puntarenas Prov., 2.8 mi E of Golfito, 8°39' N, 83°7' W, 35 m, 4 vii 1967, O. S. Flint, Jr. & M. A. Ortiz B. leg., in USNM), and two which are so far only known from Mexico and Ecuador respectively: Argia rudolphi n. sp. (Holotype ♂, Mexico, Puebla State, Zihuateutla, Sierra de Huauchinango, La Unión, in drainage area, 20°14'25'' N, 97°53'38'' W, 596 m, 21 v 1987, R. Novelo & A. Gómez leg., in CSCA) and Argia schneideri n. sp. (Holotype ♂, Ecuador, Napo Prov., Las Palmas, on Anzu river in Napo river watershed, 11 xii 1936, W. Clark-MacIntyre leg., in UMMZ). All the new species, as well as closely related species needed for diagnosis including A. anceps Garrison, A. cupraurea Calvert, A. cuprea (Hagen), A. extranea (Hagen), A. fissa Selys, A. fulgida Navás, A. oenea Hagen in Selys, A. popoluca Calvert, A. rhoadsi Calvert, and A. westfalli Garrison, are illustrated and diagnosed from their congeners and their known distribution areas are mapped.
With the aim of protecting Mexican diversity, one current governmental task is to complete national biological inventories. In the case of odonate insects, several researchers have hypothesized that species richness is complete (205 dragonflies and 151 damselflies), but there has not been any formal exercise to test this. Thus, we have investigated whether odonate species richness (for Mexican endemics, dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera), damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) and total species) is complete using sample-based and coverage-based rarefaction curves. Along with this, we also showed how good distribution data are in the country. The rarefaction curves have indicated 100% completeness for all groups suggesting that the inventory is complete. However, species' distribution data is highly patchy regarding areas either well (e.g. central Mexico) or badly (e.g. coast of Guerrero and Oaxaca) collected. We encourage researchers to continue odonate sampling in order to support at least three conservation actions: (i) conservation assessment of endangered species; (ii) knowledge of range shifts given rising global temperatures; and (iii) increase public interest and awareness in protected, touristic areas.
This revision of all 21 species of Argia known to occur within the Guiana Shield includes descriptions of new species, synonymies, keys to both sexes based primarily on morphology of caudal appendages and genital ligula in males and of the mesostigmal plates in females, diagnoses accompanied by illustrations and distribution maps for all species. Twelve new species are described: A. appendiculata (Holotype ♂: Venezuela, Amazonas State, Cerro de la Neblina, Base Camp, 0°50' N, 66°10' W, 18 ii 1985, P.J. & P.M. Spangler, R.A. Faitoute leg., in USNM), A. azurea (Holotype ♂: Guyana, Potaro-Siparuni Region, Kaieteur Ravine, about 5°10' N, 59°28' W, 11 iv 1912, J.M. Geddes leg., in UMMZ), A. cuneifera (Holotype ♂: Venezuela, Amazonas State, Cerro de la Neblina, Base Camp, 0°50' N, 66°10' W, 20-24 iii 1984, O.S. Flint, Jr. & J.A. Louton leg., in USNM), A. deceptor (Holotype ♂: French Guiana, Cayenne Department, Régina Commune, Saut Athanase, 4°10'59" N, 52°20'6" W, 9 x 2001, L. Juillerat l eg., in MHNN), A. donnellyi (Holotype ♂: Venezuela, Bolívar State, small marsh and creek on plateau surface above Coñac River, 10 km E of El Paují; about 4°31' N, 61°31' W, 5 viii 1990, RWG leg., in CSCA), A. gemella (Holotype ♂: Brazil, Amazonas State, Reserva Ducke, 26 km E Manaus (3°0'15'' S, 59°56'23'' W, 120 m), 2-4 ii 1979, O.S. Flint Jr. leg., in USNM), A. guyanica (Holotype ♂: Venezuela, Amazonas State, Cerro de la Neblina, Camp IV, 0°58' N, 65°57' W, 15-18 iii 1984, O.S. Flint, Jr. leg., in USNM), A. joallynae (Holotype ♂: Venezuela, Bolívar State, Canaima, palm marsh, 6°14'30" N, 62°50'53" W, 22-25 ix 1980, R.W. & J.A. Garrison. leg., in CSCA), A. loutoni (Holotype ♂: Brazil, Amazonas State, Purus River, Nova Olinda, about 3°30' S, 57°56' W, 6 ii 1979, O.S. Flint, Jr. leg., in FSCA), A. meioura (Holotype ♂: Brazil, Amazonas State, Manaus, about 2°55' S, 59°59' W, 26 vi 1922, J.H. Williamson & J.W. Strohm leg., in UMMZ), A. palmata (Holotype ♂: Brazil, Amazonas State, Manaus, about 5 miles N of Flores on route to Campos Sales, small creek in virgin forest, about 3°0'S, 60°1' W, 15 vi 1922, J.H. Williamson & J.W. Strohm leg., in UMMZ), and A. recurvata (Holotype ♂: Venezuela, Amazonas State, San Carlos de Río Negro, 1°55' N, 67°4' W, 97 m, 14-21 iii 1984, J. De Marmels leg., in MIZA). The status of Argia impura Rambur, 1842, is discussed and the following nomenclatural changes are proposed: Argia stigmatica Navás, 1934 and A. umbriaca Fraser, 1946 are considered junior synonyms of Argia indicatrix Calvert, 1902, and Argia eliptica Selys, 1865 and A. icterica Navás, 1934 are considered junior synonyms of A. oculata Hagen in Selys, 1865.
An historical analysis on the number of odonate species recorded for Hidalgo State is made. Moreover, collections were made in 2011 year, in 8 localities with cloud forest, during the dry and rainy seasons, twice each, complemented with occasional collections in other 8 localities with other type of forests along 2012–2013 years. Twenty-two new records of species are provided, increasing the total number of odonates for Hidalgo to 129 species. A map of the historical collection sites, as well as those places with a high potencial species richness, was generated using geographic information system (GIS), (GIS), indicating also the areas with high potential for new records for future studies in the state. For Mexico, Hidalgo occupies the fifth place in odonate diversity per km2 and the sixth one in odonate species richness, representing more than 1/3 of the species known for the country, and more than 1/2 and 3/4 of the genera and families recorded for Mexico, respectively. Finally, comments are made on the high odonate diversity and its probable cause.
An updated checklist of known Odonata occurring in the Lesser Antilles is presented along with distributional information island by island. Twelve species are removed from previous listings and 16 new records are added, bringing the total number of species to 46. Of the new records, three correspond to the descriptions of new species and one is currently under taxonomic revision (Brechmorhoga praecox grenadensis Kirby).
A study of the fauna of Odonata of a tropical deciduous forest is presented. Collections were made monthly during a 1-yr period (Nov. 1995-Oct. 1996) during 5 days each month. A total of 2595 adult specimens were collected, belonging to 57 species, 33 genera and 8 families. Estimated richness value using the non-parametric estimator ICE was 76.28.
Collections of Odonata at Reserved' Zone, Parque Nacional del Manu, were made during 1987-1989 in the vicinity of the park headquarters at Pakitza, at Cocha Salvador and along the road that follows the park boundary between Puente Morro Leguia (approx. 2200m) and Salvacion (approx. 550m). A few specimens collected along the Rio Alto Madre de Dios are included, although the area is outside the Reserved Zone boundary. The collections thus include material from Andean montane wet forest, mid-elevation transition zone, upper Andean tropical wet forest, humid Andean foothills forest and tropical lowland forest, although 85% of the material listed below is from tropical lowland forest at Pakitza or nearby. Specimens were hand-netted, taken by Malaise traps, mist nets, from larval rearings and from canopy-fogging collections. All collections were made during the transitional dry-to-wet season in late August through early October. The entire transect yielded 136 species with 117 species taken from the lowland study area around Pakitza. The data for the Pakitza collections were subjected to species richness estimation techniques and the results clustered around 130 species (probably a low estimate biased by lack of adequate collecting in standing-water habitats). Comparisons with a similar nearby site, the Tambopata Reserved Zone (250 km distant), and a site near Iquitos (1060 km distant) indicated that differences in collection emphasis or habitat diversity obscured comparisons, with Tambopata having highest overall species richness but with Pakitza having greater diversity among "non-weed" groups.Pakitza-Tambopata and Tambopata-Iquitos had similar beta-diversity while Pakitza- Iquitos had higher beta-diversity as measured by Jaccard's similarity coefficient and percent similarity.
Argia yungensis sp. nov., a new species close to Argia difficilis, is described. Both species are illustrated and diagnosed and their distributions mapped. They can be distinguished by the morphology of male tori, cerci and paraproct, and female prothorax. Their distributions are allopatric, with Argia yungensis distributed along the foothill jungle of the Yungas rain forest from NW Argentina to Peru, and A. difficilis from Peru and
Brazil to Venezuela across the lowland Amazon forest. Argia extraneaforficula Fraser is synonymyzed with A. dijficilis, and the latter is redescribed.
A two week trip to Costa Rica was conducted between 26 May and 8 June 2013,
sampling odonates in several provinces along the center to the pacific southern portion
of the country. A total of 86 species in 34 genera were found, including 16 species
of the genus Argia. Lists of all species by locality, photographs of live specimens,
and illustrations and notes of described species of Argia are presented to facilitate
identification to other collectors.
The larva of Argia percellulata is described and figured. It falls into the group of Argia larvae with a very prominent ligula and one palpal seta, but differs from its closest relatives by having tibiae usually with two well-defined dark rings, posterior margin of sternite 6 smooth, and posterior margin of sternite 7 smooth medially and with spiniform setae laterally. Larvae were found under cobblestones in open, wide, shallow streams where the water flow was slow to moderate, close to the shoreline within a cloud forest. The larva is compared with four other species apparently closely related.
We present the first cladistic analysis of Argia species, focusing on those occurring in North America north of Mexico. Our analysis is based on mitochondrial 16S rDNA and morphological characters of both sexes of adults and immatures. We reexamine classical work on Argia taxonomy and phylogeny. Our results agree considerably with previous hypotheses based morphology in an absence of phylogenetic analysis, and thus our work represents and independent test of these previous hypotheses. Argia is recovered as monophyletic. The clade composed of A. funcki plus A. lugens is basal among the species studied here. The species A. fumipennis, including the three subspecies, appears to be a paraphyletic assemblage, and thus may warrant being considered separate species as originally described. The feasibility of producing a thorough phylogenetic analysis of the entire genus using multiple sources of data is discussed.
Taxonomic distinctness is a highly useful index combining species richness and taxonomic (phylogenetic) diversity to detect changes in the taxonomic structure of communities and assemblages. While analysis of an odonate assemblage before and after construction of a hydroelectric impoundment in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, revealed no significant increase in average monthly species richness (although annual counts were slightly higher for the latter survey), taxonomic distinctness and its variation were reduced. The impoundment converted natural lotic conditions into lentic habitat with more littoral vegetation. Such conditions favored plant-dependent species (mostly in the Zygoptera) with more species per genus and genera per family relative to those not dependent (mostly in the Anisoptera). High ratios reduce the average risk of losing higher taxonomic structure with loss of a species. Reduced taxonomic distinctness and its variation occurred at the expense of the Gomphidae and Corduliidae, and several genera in the Libellulidae having non-plant dependent species that favor inorganic substrate in flowing waters. The results contrast with the common assumption that higher odonate diversity occurs in lentic habitats. Seasonal patterns of taxonomic distinctness appeared similar between surveys and may reflect reproductive and emergence cycles. The results support the use of taxonomic distinctness and its variation over species richness in ecological assessments and its application in further freshwater research. We encourage its use with aquatic insects, but recommend frequent sampling intervals to account for effects from emergence and reproductive behaviors. These results suggest new and added breadth to the value of taxonomic distinctness in ecological research regarding habitat change.
Among the largest of all insects, dragonflies and damselflies are conspicuous. Active during the day, often brightly colored, and extremely photogenic―something about their appearance and dashing flight suggests a primeval world of tree ferns and dinosaurs.
The first guide of its kind, this book includes an in-depth introduction with an overview of Costa Rican biodiversity and illustrated morphological terms. The species accounts show males and females of most species, detailed illustrations and close-ups of key distinguishing features, and descriptions of habitat, behavior, and range. Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica gives readers the information they need to identify nearly every species in the country. Experienced dragonfly fans and new enthusiasts alike will find it an indispensable resource.
A review of the Mesoamerican genus Paraphlebia Selys in Hagen, 1861 is presented, including diagnoses, illustrations of diagnostic characters, and distribution maps for all species. A key to the known males and females is provided. Eleven new species are described: P. akan Ortega-Salas & González-Soriano. sp. nov., P. chaak Ortega-Salas & González-Soriano sp. nov., P. chiarae Ortega-Salas sp. nov., P. esperanza Ortega-Salas & González-Soriano sp. nov., P. flinti Ortega-Salas & González-Soriano sp. nov., P. hunnal Ortega-Salas & González-Soriano sp. nov., P. itzamna Ortega-Salas, Jocque & González-Soriano sp. nov., P. ixchel Ortega-Salas & González-Soriano sp. nov., P. kauil Ortega-Salas & González- Soriano sp. nov., P. kinich Ortega-Salas & González-Soriano sp. nov., and P. kukulkan Jocque & Ortega-Salas sp. nov.
The larva of Argia cuprea (Hagen, 1861) is described and figured. It falls into the group of Argia larvae with prominent ligula and one palpal seta, but it differs from its closest relatives by a combination of features such as male gonapophyses reaching posterior ventral margin of S10; dorsal and ventral margin of paraproct with long, abundant, white, delicate setae on distal 0.40; tip of paraproct 20% its total length; lateral surface of paraproct with abundant spiniform setae restricted to the triangular, yellowish-brown, slightly sclerotized area along the inflated area. It appears closely related to A. oenea Hagen in Selys, 1865 and A. orichalcea Hagen in Selys, 1865 larvae.
An updated checklist of the 282 species of Odonata known to occur in Argentina is presented along with distributional information by province and ecoregion. Ten new records for the country and 87 new provincial records are provided. At present, 17 species of Odonata are considered endemic to Argentina, and distribution maps for each of them are provided. Information on larvae and conservation status according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened species is also provided; there are still 98 larvae unknown and 169 species unassessed.
We present a list of 425 valid Odonata species from Ecuador, providing a brief overview of each genus, a photograph of a representative species of each genus, and all records known to us for each species. Thirty-eight of the 425 species were previously unrecorded from Ecuador. Data were derived from published records, public and private collections, and field records accumulated since the 1960’s by the authors and others who have contributed specimen information to this study. A historical study and a comprehensive list of synonyms are presented, and questionable species records are discussed. The physiography of the country, including the general climate of each subregion and current pressures on the environment, is briefly discussed. At present, 44 species of Odonata are considered endemic to Ecuador, and eight species are considered endangered, vulnerable, or near threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Well-adapted flight morphology must allow for efficient behavioral activities. Wing shape has been shown in a variety of species to be influenced by environmental conditions. Analysis of wing shape using geometric morphometrics provides a visualization of wing shape variations. This study examined the effects of varied environments on wing shape and wing size of the damselfly Argia sedula in central Texas. Comparisons were made (1) between populations collected early in the flight season versus those collected late in the flight season; (2) between populations collected at different locations, and (3) among populations collected from the same locations during several annual flight seasons. We found widespread differences in both wing shape and body size in males and females among most environments examined. Male and female damselflies collected early varied significantly from those collected late in the flight season for all locations and years sampled. Damselflies emerging early in the flight season were significantly larger than those emerging late in the season. Significant differences in wing shape and size occurred in comparisons of male and female damselflies collected in different years at the same location. In comparing damselflies collected at different locations, neither females nor males varied significantly in wing shape. Size varied in only one male comparison between locations. Our results suggest that differences in seasonal and year-to-year environmental conditions, but not geographical location, frequently influence wing shape and wing size in A. sedula, and quite possibly in other damselfly species.
The study of the evolutionary interrelationships among the species encompassed in the Neotropical genus Argia (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) has been neglected. The goal of this study is to infer the phylogenetic relationships among 36 species of Argia Rambur, 1842, using complementary data sets (i.e., larval morphology and mitochondrial DNA). The morphological data set comprises 76% of the larvae currently described for this genus and includes 97 morphological characters. From those, 47 characters have not been previously used in taxonomic studies involving dragonflies’ larvae. This is the first cladistic study based on larvae morphology for species within the suborder Zygoptera. Data partitions were analyzed individually, as well as total evidence, using parsimony and Bayesian inference as criteria for optimal-tree selection. The results support the monophyly of the North American species of Argia. This genus can be identified by the combination of eight synapomorphies, four of which are exclusively found in Argia. According to the optimal trees, the individual data sets (i.e., morphology and DNA sequences) have a high level of homoplasy, resulting in soft polytomies and low support for several nodes. The specific relationships of the terminal units differ between the phylogenies; nonetheless, there is historical congruence among them. Within Argia, five clades were consistently recovered. Most of those clades have been identified, at least in part, in previous phylogenetic and taxonomic studies. Indubitably, the morphological characters from larvae have historical signal useful for cladistic and taxonomic inference. Therefore, it should be a priority to pay more attention to this source of characters.
We illustrate and describe the final instar larvae of Argia sabino Garrison 1994 and Argia pima Garrison 1994 based on preserved exuviae and larvae from Sabino Creek, Arizona, U.S.A. A dichotomous key is provided to integrate A. sabino and A. pima into an existing larval key to North American Argia spp.
The last instar larva of Argia funcki (Selys) is described and illustrated. A comparison to its closest relative, Argia lugens (Hagen), is provided. The scalelike setae on sternite 8 and gonapophyses, and the bluntly-tipped gonapophyses easely separate A. funcki larva from that of A. lugens. The larva of A. funcki belongs to the group of species with ligula very prominent and one palpal seta; it is the largest of all known larvae of the genus.
The damselflies Heteragrion erythrogastrum and Argia difficilis selected markedly different perching sites within the same forest. Heteragrion erythrogastrum perched only in deep shade and exhibited thoracic temperatures that were within 1.0 C of ambient. Conversely, A. difficilis perched in the most brightly lit areas and on sunny days exhibited thoracic temperatures between 4.4 and 8.4 C above ambient. During sunny conditions A. difficilis foraged approximately five times more frequently than H. erythrogastrum and made longer foraging flights as well. Subsequent observations of A. difficilis under varying conditions of light, however, revealed that thoracic temperature, foraging rate, and foraging flight distance all varied directly with incident light level. Thus, during overcast conditions A. difficilis exhibited thoracic temperatures and foraging behavior much like H. erythrogastrum. These results suggest that, for these ectothermic predators, foraging rate primarily reflects the energy demand associated with a particular body temperature and rate of energy metabolism. The relative advantages of basking versus shade seeking are briefly discussed.
There has not been a concerted effort to document the extent of biodiversity, distribution and geographic affinities of the Odonata of the south central United States and northeastern Mexico. The area is an important boundary for some species representing eastern Nearctic and subtropical faunas, and a mixing zone or dispersal corridor for other species. Since 1993, we have done extensive collecting of all life stages in the seven biotic provinces of Texas, and compiled published and extensive unpublished records from the portions of these provinces of U.S. and Mexican states that join Texas. Here we list 228 species for this region (196 in Texas), indicate their distributions by biotic province, and discuss the regional biogeography and importance of rare species.
The previously unknown larva of Argia jujuya Ris, 1913 is described, diagnosed and illustrated. Among other characters, the following combination is important to distinguish it from other species in the genus: antennae with six concolorous segments, ligula projected only slightly, row of small premental setae present, abdominal sternum 8 almost entirely covered with spiniform setae, gonapophyses with pointed apices slightly diverging distally, cercus triangular, caudal lamellae subequal in length and triquetral along entire length, with fringe of stout setae along entire dorsal and ventral margins. Larvae were collected in very small and thickly vegetated streams, with low water current. A key for the three species known as larvae in NW Argentina is presented.
Here we provide a first report on the reproductive behavior of Argia sabino Garrison and Argia pima Garrison from observations at Sabino Creek, Arizona. Both species reproduce in autumn (September-October) following late summer rainstorms. Tandem pairs of A. sabino submerge to oviposit on rock substrates. The oviposition substrate is abundant and widespread. Male A. sabino defend mate-encounter territories in the morning at boulder fields or rock outcrops away from the stream. Copulation may last 30 minutes or more. Ovipositing females submerge in tandem with males, typically to depths of 10-30 cm, and pairs may remain submerged for over 30 minutes. Male submergence with females can be interpreted as contact mate guarding promoted by sperm competition and/or as a male investment in the female's survival and oviposition success. We discuss evidence for both possibilities based on field observations. Whereas ovipositional resources for A. sabino are ubiquitous at Sabino Creek, A. pima uses patchily distributed, discrete ovipositional habitats (wetted rootlets of riparian trees at waterfalls and riffles). Males of A. pima employ a mixture of contact and noncontact mate-attendance strategies. Females occasionally submerge to oviposit. Often they oviposit along the margins of torrential cascades. Male A. pima have been observed to release submerging mates just before their own wings become wetted, and to monitor submerged ovipositing females from a nearby perch thereafter.
Samples of a population of Argia vivida Hagen larvae were taken at about monthly intervals from a series of warm sulphur pools at Banff, Alberta, from June 1973 to December 1974. Changes in head capsule width and wing pad length in field-collected and laboratory-reared specimens show that the life-cycle is univoltine. Only the final (Z) instar can be recognized with certainty, but methods are described whereby the population can be divided into size classes which are thought to correspond well with the last nine larval instars. Periods of rapid growth occur in the autumn and again in the spring. Larvae overwinter in the instars U, V, W, X, and Y and the major shift to the final instar occurs in March and April. Adults emerge from April to August. In the laboratory, growth is temperature dependent until the penultimate (Y) instar and this could be a factor in the field since, although larvae can exist year-round at a constant 26 °C, some larvae live in the cooler areas at the edges of the streams and pools. Entry to the final instar appears to require the long photoperiods that follow the vernal equinox.
Throughout the latter part of the dry season (January-April) of 1985 and 1986, we studied the demography of mature adults in a small population of Argia chelata along a stream at Monteverde, Costa Rica. Males defended sunlit spots along the stream between 1030 h and 1400 h central standard time each day and females visiting these sunlit spots were soon mated. By individually marking all mature adults in the population we found that there was no significant difference between the sexes in daily survival rates (0.85 for males and 0.86 for females). Lifetime mating success was positively correlated with longevitiy in both males and females but the ability of males to obtain a mate appeared to be independent of age.
Although the sex ratio at emergence was 1:1, that of mature adults at the stream was strongly male-biased (87% male), perhaps as a result of a longer or more risky prereproductive period in females related to the costs of egg formation. We argue that the strongly male-biased sex ratio has important effects on the mating system of this species in that the male contact-guards the female for the entire oviposition period each day. Although this limits each male to mating with one female per day, it probably ensures that the male will fertilize most of the eggs laid by the female that day.
The objective of this study was to estimate Argia vivida (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) populations, identify breeding habitat, and investigate movement of adults within Banff National
Park, Alberta, Canada, during the summer of 2003. Mark-recapture techniques and standardized dip-net surveys were used to
monitor Argia vivida at various life stages. A reproductive index identified which sites Argia vivida recognized as suitable breeding habitat, and exuvia surveys confirmed breeding sites. The basic structure of emergent and
surrounding vegetation was measured to investigate the importance of available ovipositing or roosting sites and the condition
of the matrix habitat. Data was recorded for Amphiagrion abbreviatum and Ischnura cervula (both Odonata: Coenagrionidae) to determine if these spring-associated damselflies were successfully breeding within Banff
National Park. Comparisons were made between the highly protected Middle Springs and the heavily altered Cave & Basin Springs.
Additional surveys at the Vermilion Lake cool spring and Middle Springs Bog investigated their use as breeding habitat for
Amphiagrion abbreviatum and Argia vivida, respectively. Results suggest the ecological value of thermal springs extends beyond their origin to outflows and downstream
pools. Conservation of Argia vivida must recognize the value of unobstructed thermal outflows, and consider the condition of the forested habitat surrounding
springs with regard to its potential use as nocturnal roosts and dispersal corridors. Amphiagrion abbreviatum was confirmed breeding within Banff National Park, while no sign of breeding activity was recorded for Ischnura cervula.
The hypothesis was tested that isolated populations of Argia vivida Hagen living in habitats with different thermal regimes would show similar larval temperature preferenda, similar distributions in a temperature gradient, similar larval upper temperature acitivity thresholds, and similar adult minimum temperature flight thresholds. The hypothesis was supported in all cases, except for distribution within the gradient, where there were significantly fewer observations below 22C in a population from a habitat with a fluctuating diel and annual temperature regime than in a population from a more thermally stable habitat. Larval modal temperature preferendum was 28C; escape temperature (EST) was 35.4–36.4C, critical thermal maximum (CTM) was 39.1–41.0C, and upper lethal temperature (ULT) was 44.4–46.0C. While technical difficulties affected the estimates of flight thresholds, there was no difference between the field estimates from different sites. Minimum body temperature for flight appears to be about 25C, apparently higher than for several other zygopterans, while larval activity thresholds and 96 hr LD50 of 36.8C are similar to those recorded for other odonates.
Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided of the ultimate instar larvae of Argia medullaris and Argia variegata from Colombia. The principal features are outlined and compared with other species. Argia medullaris differs from other species of the genus by the parallel width of the lateral gills and prominent ligula; the A. variegata larva can be separated from other species by the absence of setae and spines on male and female gonapophyses and its peculiar madicolous habit.