Nesocordulia mascarenica, Fraser, 1948

Bernard, Rafał, Daraż, Bogusław, Ravelomanana, Andrianjaka & Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B., 2025, Six new species of Nesocordulia McLachlan, 1882 reveal an insular evolutionary radiation of dragonflies on Madagascar (Odonata: Anisoptera: Libelluloidea), Zootaxa 5660 (2), pp. 151-193 : 181

Nesocordulia mascarenica ?

( Figs 14e–h )

Female with no other collection details than ‘Madagascar’ in MNHN. Although still complete when studied by Fraser (1948) and designated as allotype of N. mascarenica , this female is now in poor condition, lacking S6–10. Fraser found that the specimen matched the male holotype in NHMUK, but at least the following features do not correspond with it: (a) Pt ( Fig. 14g ) 0.7–1 mm longer, length 2.4–2.7 mm versus 1.7 mm in the male, while typically it is just as long in females as in males (three known species of Nesocordulia ) or at most 0.4 mm longer (two species); (b) supertriangles not crossed in all wings ( Fig. 14e ) versus crossed in the male; (c) two metepimeral spots (larger and smaller) ( Fig. 14f ) versus one large spot in the male, while in other species the number of spots is the same in both sexes (except N. evanida , however, where female has one spot versus males’ two); (d) the metepisternal spot ( Fig. 14f ) of different shape and not arched as in the male, while in this genus, the shape of this spot is largely similar in both sexes; (e) upper sides of femora dark chocolate brown ( Fig. 14f ) versus black in the male, while the dark colours of female legs follow those of the male ones in Nesocordulia . Although these differences seem to rule N. mascarenica out, this combination of features does not correspond to any other named species either. Thus, an unnamed species may also be considered. Fw length 37.4, Hw length 36.8, Fw Pt 2.4–2.7. Fw Ax 13, Fw Px 8–10, Hw Ax 8, Hw Px 10–12.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Four females of Nesocordulia that cannot be identified. (a–d) possible N. coloratissima sp. nov. in NHMUK; (e–h) doubtful N. mascarenica described by Fraser (1956) in MNHN; (i) possible N. mascarenica from Masoala National Park; (j) possible N. spinicauda from the Palmarium Reserve. Photos by: a–h, Bogusław Daraż; i, Callan Cohen; j, Michiel Van de Velde.