Caliphaea sinuofurcata Sawant, Joshi & Kunte

Sawant, Dattaprasad, Joshi, Shantanu, Pawar, Ujwala, Nawge, Viraj & Kunte, Krushnamegh, 2025, Caliphaea sinuofurcata sp. nov. (Odonata: Zygoptera: Calopterygidae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India, Zootaxa 5637 (1), pp. 139-154 : 140-150

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5637.1.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AF2F85DF-5A6A-4557-ADB7-29281BADBF88
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15576762
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F487C2-0A4D-9B68-FF72-0F2E855732A2
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Caliphaea sinuofurcata Sawant, Joshi & Kunte
status

Treatment

( Figs. 1–6 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 )

Holotype. 1♂ (IBC-BR551), evergreen forest near a small settlement (name unknown) approx. 20–30 km on the Tuting to Singa Road, Upper Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh , India (28.8909° N, 95.0743° E; 1230 m a.s.l.), 6.vi.2022, Krushnamegh Kunte & Viraj Nawge leg. GoogleMaps

Paratypes. 1 ♀ (IBC-BR552) all details are the same as holotype GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂ ( IBC-BR898 ), Hunli , Lower Dibang Valley District, Arunachal Pradesh, India (28.3332°, 95.9501°; 1250 m a.s.l.), 18.ix.2016, Krushnamegh Kunte leg.

Etymology. The specific name sinuofurcata is given for the sinuous (= sinus, Latin) paraproct and its bifurcated tips (= furcata, Latin).

Proposed English Name. Bearded Bronzeback: The common English name is given due to presence of numerous black hair-like setae on labium and labrum of both male and female which give a bearded appearance.

Description of holotype male IBC-BR551 ( Figs. 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 )

Head ( Fig. 1a–b View FIGURE 1 ). Labrum metallic copper with black border; labium black; mandible yellow; dense black hairlike setae on lower border of labrum, labium and mandible; anteclypeus and postclypeus metallic copper with pink or green tinge (depending on angle); frons brown; ocelli pale brown; antennae black, base yellow; eyes black, posteriorly pale yellow, fade post-mortem; postocular area brown, dark olive posteriorly; occiput brown.

Thorax. Prothorax ( Fig. 1d–e View FIGURE 1 ). Metallic coppery green with dark olive border. Anterior lobe roughly shaped as an inverted triangle, depressed posteriorly; middle lobe broad with vertical bulge on each dorsolateral side and lateral expansions; posterior lobe slightly elevated with everted posterior margin.

Pterothorax ( Fig. 1c, f–g View FIGURE 1 ). Metallic coppery-green except for metepisternum and metepimeron. Mesostigmal plates triangular with lateral horn-like projection; mid-dorsal carina olive; humeral and intrapleural sutures black; a small part of anterior end of mesepisternum, lower half of mesinfraepisternum, lower border of metepisternum in anterior half, metepimeron and metinfraepisternum yellow; a coppery-green, horizontally expanded oval spot on metepimeron.

Legs ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ). Coxae and proximal femur yellow; rest of femur, tibiae, tibio-femoral joints, tarsi and spines black.

Wings ( Figs. 1c View FIGURE 1 , 2c View FIGURE 2 ) Faintly tinted with brown; venation black; Pt rectangular, dark brown with pale brown border, covers almost 2½ cells below in FW, 2 cells in HW. Arculus at level of Ax 4–5. Ax 13–14 in FW, 11 in HW. Px 21–23 in FW, 24–26 in HW.

Abdomen ( Figs. 1c View FIGURE 1 , 2a View FIGURE 2 ). Metallic coppery-green on dorsum, ventrally black; S1 ventro-laterally yellow; S2–7 unmarked; S8–10 pruinosed with greyish blue on dorsum.

Genitalia ( Fig. 2a–b View FIGURE 2 ). Not dissected, only observed in situ. First and second segments of ligula dark brown. Third segment pale yellow, roughly square-shaped, without any prominent projections, two long filaments originating from lower part, curved downwards and extending beyond the lower border of third segment.

Caudal appendages ( Figs. 2d–g View FIGURE 2 ). Black. Cerci broad at base, narrow at middle and then again broad at apical 2/3 part, longer than S10, strongly curved inwards at midpoint, apical half leaflet-shaped, apex rounded, 4–6 prominent spines on outer margin of apical half of cerci. Paraproct sinuous, broad at base, narrow at apical 2/3, convex near base, concave at middle, then abruptly turn inwards, upwards and forwards, apex divided in two blunt processes with a deep cleft.

Measurements: Abdomen without appendages 33 mm; HW 29 mm; total length 42 mm.

Variation in Paratype male IBC-BR898 ( Figs. 3–4 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 )

Paratype male (IBC-BR898) is similar to the holotype except in pinker tinge on labrum, frons and thorax ( Fig. 3a–e View FIGURE 3 ). Yellow colour of thorax is dull ( Fig. 3e View FIGURE 3 ). S8–10 are more pruinosed ( Fig. 3c View FIGURE 3 ). Genitalia were dissected in IBC-BR 898 male ( Fig. 4a–c View FIGURE 4 ) and are similar to the holotype male, except for the slightly more folded filaments. Cerci are less angulated and directed upwards, hence giving a perception of different shape than that of holotype male ( Fig. 4d–g View FIGURE 4 ). Lateral process of paraproct tip is hidden behind the curved stem, hence only visible in dorsal view. 13–15 Ax in FW and 11 in HW whereas 21–22 Px in FW, 21–24 Px in HW.

Measurements: Abdomen without appendages 40 mm; HW 34 mm; total length 50 mm.

Description of paratype female IBC-BX552 ( Figs. 5–6 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 )

Head ( Fig. 5a–b, d View FIGURE 5 ). Similar to male except in having overall more greenish tinge. Postocular area olive, changing to dark blue on posterior end.

Thorax. Prothorax ( Fig. 5c, e View FIGURE 5 ). Similar to male, except in having more greenish tinge.

Pterothorax ( Fig. 5f–g View FIGURE 5 ). Similar to male. The coppery green spot on metepimeron is slightly larger than that of male.

Legs ( Fig. 5c View FIGURE 5 ). Coxae and proximal part of femur yellow. Rest of the legs black.

Wings ( Figs. 5c View FIGURE 5 , 6a View FIGURE 6 ). Very faintly tinted brown; Pt dark brown, covering 2½ cells below in FW, 1½ cells in HW. Ax 11 in FW, 12 in HW. Px 24–25 in FW, 25–26 in HW.

Abdomen ( Fig. 5c View FIGURE 5 ). S1–2 dorsally coppery-green, ventrally black, a small yellow mark on lateral S1; S3– 8 metallic green, unmarked; S9–10 metallic green, pruinescence on distal end of S9 and whole dorsum of S10; abdomen ventrally black.

Caudal appendages ( Fig. 6b–d View FIGURE 6 ). Cerci black, conical, pointed, same length as S10; Paraproct very small, globular with blunt apex, black, not visible in dorsal view; ovipositor black, spine pale yellow.

Measurements: Abdomen without appendages 37 mm; HW 32 mm; total length 46 mm.

Differential diagnosis ( Figs. 7–8 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 )

Caliphaea sinuofurcata resembles other Caliphaea spp. in morphology and structure of cerci in both sexes ( Figs. 7–8 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 ). However, it can be distinguished from its congeners by the unique shape of male paraproct ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ). Caliphaea sinuofurcata has a slender and sinuous paraproct with bifurcated apex ( Fig. 7a View FIGURE 7 ), all other Caliphaea spp. have thick paraproct that are blunt or have one or two subapical spines on the inner side. Caliphaea angka , C. confusa and C. hermannkunzi also have bifurcated paraproct apex, but their processes are distinctly separated and conical, with sharply pointed tips ( Fig. 7b–c, e View FIGURE 7 ). In contrast, C. sinuofurcata has roughly spatula-shaped paraproct processes with a blunt tip ( Fig. 7a View FIGURE 7 ). Caliphaea nitens has straight paraproct with a single, medially directed spine and C. consimilis has a club-shaped bulky paraproct tip, both having serrated paraproct tips ( Zhang & Hämäläinen 2020) ( Fig. 7d, f View FIGURE 7 ). Caliphaea thailandica has a convex, narrow paraproct without any bulge or spines, which is thicker than paraproct of C. sinuofurcata ( Fig. 7g View FIGURE 7 ).

Other distinguishing character in Caliphaea spp. is the shape of male genital ligula. Typically, all Caliphaea spp. have a ligula with lateral filaments ( Asahina 1976). Caliphaea sinuofurcata has roughly square-shaped third segment with two long, folded filaments. Caliphaea consimilis has a shorter filament, whereas C. confusa and C. thailandica have longer filaments with prominent lateral projections on the distal segment of ligula. The same segment of C. hermannkunzi appears roughly rectangular with two horn-like projections in ventral view (fig. 8–9 in Zhang & Hämäläinen 2020). Thoracic markings of all Caliphaea spp. males including the new species are similar except C. hermannkunzi , which has no spot on metepimeron.

The females of all known Caliphaea spp. are very similar and difficult to distinguish apart ( Hamalainen 2003). Hence, it is advisable to identify the female up to the species level only if observed in copula.

Zhang (2019: 968) mentioned a potentially undescribed species (‘ Caliphaea sp. ’) from Yunnan, China. Caliphaea sinuofurcata can be distinguished from ‘ Caliphaea sp. ’ (sensu Zhang 2019) by the shape of male paraproct. ‘ Caliphaea sp. ’ has a straighter paraproct with bifurcated tip, with a wider distance between the two bifurcated spines, whereas C. sinuofurcata male has a deeper cleft with a shorter distance between the two processes.

Habitat and habits ( Figs. 9–10 View FIGURE 9 View FIGURE 10 )

Caliphaea sinuofurcata was observed in small, seasonal rocky streams in mid-elevation broadleaf evergreen forests at both the locations in Upper Siang District and Lower Dibang Valley District ( Figs. 9–10 View FIGURE 9 View FIGURE 10 ). Individuals were seen at the edges of streams and along paths, in partial shade, on vegetation close to ground up to 2–3 m height.

Distribution ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 )

Currently, C. sinuofurcata is known only from the Tuting to Singa road area in Upper Siang District and Hunli in Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh. It is possible that the species occurs more widely across the state and in other regions of northeastern India, northern Myanmar, southern Tibet, and southern China. Figure 11 View FIGURE 11 depicts the distribution of all Caliphaea spp. based on distribution data from International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2024), except for C. nitens . Further information will be made available on the species page of the Odonata of India website (https://www.indianodonata.org/caliphaea) as additional observations accumulate.