Nesocordulia rubricauda Martin, 1900
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5660.2.1 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:103B00A2-9573-45C1-B1AE-A1FA9772E247 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16602876 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B042BE13-FF80-AA6E-71DD-50C6FD1CFD03 |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Nesocordulia rubricauda Martin, 1900 |
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Nesocordulia rubricauda Martin, 1900 View in CoL —Red-tailed Knifetail
Figs 11 View FIGURE 11 , 15 View FIGURE 15 , 17–19 View FIGURE 17 View FIGURE 18 View FIGURE 19
Etymology. A feminine noun derived from Latin “rubrus”, red, and “cauda”, a tail, to emphasise the reddish brown abdomen.
Type material. The male in MNHN, designated as the lectotype by Legrand (1984), should be considered as the holotype by monotypy, being the only specimen examined by R. Martin when he introduced the new species. The specimen is only labelled “ Madagascar ” .
Diagnosis. Relatively large species, the second largest Nesocordulia , easily separated from all but one congener by its reddish brown body, brown wing bases, and dense venation, especially between the cubital and anal veins. Aside from the unique hamule and cerci ( Figs 15 View FIGURE 15 and 17–18 View FIGURE 17 View FIGURE 18 , respectively), differs from N. fossa by the partly doubled cell rows subtended by Rspl in all wings and the absence of yellow markings on the clypeus and thorax as well as of black apical smudges laterally on S3–6.
Description. Holotype male. Possibly immature (pre-reproductive period), with colour pattern most probably fully developed, but not equally intense throughout. Total length 58.0, abdomen (excluding appendages) 40.3, Fw 42.2, Hw 41.1, Fw Pt 2.5, cerci 2.8. Fw Ax 15–16, Fw Px 13, Hw Ax 10–11, Hw Px 16–17. Colouration generally reddish brown, with metallic green thoracic stripes ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ).
Head. Face dark, in various shades of brown ( Fig. 11f View FIGURE 11 ). Vertex, postfrons and central antefrons mostly darker reddish brown, and only locally with metallic greenish blue reflections. The rest of frontal shield warm brown ( Figs 11a,f View FIGURE 11 ). Frons sides yellowish brown, with some admixture of metallic greenish golden reflections. Lower corners and margin of antefrons brown ( Figs 11e,f View FIGURE 11 ). Clypeus dark brown ( Fig. 11f View FIGURE 11 ). Labrum reddish brown with paler ochre brown centre ( Fig. 11f View FIGURE 11 ). Occipital triangle light brown. Postgenae brown.
Thorax. Synthorax brown to reddish brown with three evenly distributed metallic stripes (green, blue and locally copper reflections): the fairly small and rather blue stripe on mesepisternum, along the middorsal carina, and two longer stripes in anterior parts of mesepimeron and metepimeron, with the darkest brown area in between ( Fig. 11e View FIGURE 11 ). Synthorax lacking yellow spots. Legs two-toned, with basal parts (coxae, trochanters and large parts of femora) paler, ochre brown to reddish brown, and the rest dark brown to black ( Fig. 11e View FIGURE 11 ).
Wings. Membrane amber brown basally: the darkened wing base larger in Fw, reaching farthest in costal and subcostal space (at level of Ax 2 in Fw and Ax 1 in Hw), and closest in median space in Fw or median and cubital space in Hw ( Figs 11a,d View FIGURE 11 ). Apart from the base, membrane clear, without any trace of brownish tint. Pt medium-sized, pale, yellowish buffy (immature?). Venation ( Fig. 11a View FIGURE 11 ): (a) row between the cubital and anal veins in Hw with 6–7 cells doubled (even tripled or quadrupled distally); (b) row between R4 and the median vein in Hw with 3–4 cells doubled; (c) row subtended by Rspl in all wings with 3–7 cells doubled. Membranula pale buffy to white.
Abdomen. Reddish brown, the most intensively on S7–S9, with four black rings of posterior field of tergites from S3–6; additionally, only an indistinct darkish ‘nail’ there on S2, and a thin dark posterior margin of S7 ( Figs 11b,d View FIGURE 11 ). On S3–6, no black triangular smudges bordering the posterior black rings. No yellow abdominal pattern, only yellow-ochre tint on S4–6 locally (in their anterolateral regions), like faint remnants of anterior stripes typical of black Nesocordulia species ( Figs 11b,d View FIGURE 11 ). These segments in dorsal view three-tone brown: yellowish brown anteriorly, further rich reddish brown, and terminally dark reddish brown.
Secondary genitalia. In lateral view, branches of hamule separated by deep and wide gap, with the posterior branch fairly narrow and pressed against the genital lobe, and the anterior branch broad and bent down subapically, with beak-like tip ( Figs 11e View FIGURE 11 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ). Genital lobe relatively long, bluntly triangular, directed downwards, reddish brown with rusty ochre hair-like setae ( Figs 11e View FIGURE 11 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ).
Caudal appendages. Cerci fairly long, reddish brown, similar to abdominal colouration ( Fig. 11c View FIGURE 11 ). In dorsal view, rather straight at base and diverging gradually in distal half, with apices pointing outwards and bluntly tapered ( Figs 11c View FIGURE 11 , 18 View FIGURE 18 ). In lateral view, shallowly arched up, with a blunt kink at 60% of the lower edge, and further with straight and tapering tips ( Figs 11b View FIGURE 11 , 17 View FIGURE 17 ). The lower margin of cerci rather uneven with two greater protrusions: the thickened kink mentioned above and a distinct bulge near their base. Epiproct reddish brown and fairly long, reaching 80% of the cerci length ( Figs 11b,c View FIGURE 11 , 17 View FIGURE 17 ).
Female, distribution and ecology unknown.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.