Phyllogomphus bongorum Kipping, Mézière & Dijkstra ^ZBK sp. nov. – Bongo Leaftail

(Type Photo 42, Photos 26, 55– 56, Fig. 26)

Taxonomy

Belongs to the three-striped group of Phyllogomphus Selys, 1854 (Dijkstra et al. 2006) and morphologically nearest to the sympatric P. annulus Klots, 1944 but distinct in details of genetics, coloration and male appendages (Fig. 26).

Material studied

Holotype ♂. RMNH.INS.508064, Gabon, Haut-Ogooué Province, Batéké Plateau, 18 km NW of Léconi, sandy stream in dense gallery forest, tributary to Léconi River, at forest edge, 425 m a.s.l. (1.447218 ° S 14.166175 ° E), 29 -ix- 2013, leg. J. Kipping, RMNH .

Further material. GABON (Haut-Ogooué Province): 1 ♂ as holotype, leg. N. Mézière, CJKL . 1 ♂ (RMNH.INS.508045), 1 ♀ (RMNH.INS.508044), same locality, 10 -ix- 2014, leg. J. Kipping, CJKL .

Genetics

Three unique haplotypes (n= 3) nearest to but well-separated from nine of P. annulus (n= 10).

Male morphological diagnosis

Nearest to the sympatric P. annulus by (a) large size, Hw 40.0– 40.5 mm (n = 2); (b) the entirely dark brown labrum, clypeus, frons, vertex and occiput with only a narrow green bar centrally across the frons; (c) the smooth border of the occiput without denticles; (d) the complete yellow postdorsal, mesepimeral and metepimeral stripes on the thorax but no ante-humeral and metepisternal stripes; (e) the stout posterior hamule with its posterior border semi-circular (Fig. 26); (f) the black S 4–6 with pairs of yellow basal spots; (g) the uniformly reddish brown S 8–10; (h) the many anteriorlydirected denticles on the hump of the dorsal crest of S 10; and (j) the brown cerci that are scarcely longer than the epiproct and have broad truncate apices and a rectangularly kinked outer border (Fig. 26). However, (1) the posterior hamule is even less drawn out (Fig. 26); (2) the yellow basal spots on S 4–7 extend onto the underside of the abdomen, i.e., are not interrupted by black ventrally or even completely reduced; (3) the denticles on the hump of S 10 are relatively larger and thus fewer in number, i.e., 25–26 instead of 31–42; (4) the lateral excavations of the apical border of S 10 lack fringes of hair; (5) the apices of the cerci are even shorter; (6) the ventral flanges of the cerci that can be seen touching each other between the cerci in dorsal view have an acute rather than obtuse border; (7) the ventral tooth of the cerci is long and sharply pointed, rather than round and blunt; and (8) the epiproct is not abruptly widened close to its base, i.e., the subbasal hump visible in lateral view on its dorsal profile in P. annulus is absent (Fig. 26).

Etymology

Named after the Bongo pygmies that live under harsh conditions where the species was found (plural genitive noun).

Range and ecology

Known only from a very clear sandy stream in dense gallery forest at 425 m a.s.l. on the sandy Batéké Plateau in south-eastern Gabon. Both sexes were found hunting along forest edges (Photo 56) in the forest-grassland mosaic among the much more numerous P. annulus .