Generic revision of Argiolestidae (Odonata), with four new genera

Abstract

The subfamilyArgiolestinae is raised to family level to include all zygopteran genera in which the gills of the larvae are flat and held in a horizontal plane. A diagnosis of the family is given and characters for both adults and larvae are presented. The family is divided into two subfamilies based on characters in the genital ligula, with the subfamily Argiolestinae found in Australasia east of Huxley's Line and the subfamily Podolestinae found in Africa and Asia west of Huxley's Line. Four genera are newly described: Eoargiolestes (New Caledonia, type species Sympecma ochracea Montrouzier, 1864), Luzonargiolestes (Philippines, type species Argiolestes realensis Gapud & Recuenco, 1993), Solomonargiolestes (Bougainville, Papua New Guinea and Malaita, Solomon Islands, type species Argiolestes bougainville Kalkman, 2008) and Pyrrhargiolestes (Papua New Guinea, type species Argiolestes sidonia Martin, 1909). In addition Metagrion (type species Argiolestes postnodalis Selys, 1878) and Wahnesia (type species Argiolestes kirbyi Förster, 1900), two genera not in use for over 70 years, are reinstated. Based on molecular data the African genera Neurolestes and Nesolestes have been shown to be good genera and are here treated as such, Nesolestes nigeriensis is transferred to Neurolestes. All 20 genera included in Argiolestidae are discussed, with type species, key characters of adults, distribution and habitat being given. In addition a diagnosis is presented for each genus and information is given on their identification together with a map of the distribution of the genus and scanning electron microscope images of the genital ligula of most genera. A key to the genera of the Australasian region is presented and keys to the species of Caledargiolestes, Caledopteryx and Podopteryx are given. New distributional records of Caledargiolestes, Caledopteryx, Luzonargiolestes, Solomonargiolestes and Podopteryx are provided.

Redefining the damselfly families: a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Zygoptera (Odonata)

“…We obtained molecular data for 92% of the 51 genera involved, most of which are morphologically well defined (e.g. Garrison et al , ; Kalkman & Theischinger, ), and the results indicate that Megapodagrionidae includes between eight and 15 distinct (potentially family‐level) clades and Amphipterygidae includes four. No 16S data were available for the family's type genus, the monotypic Amazonian Megapodagrion .…”

“…Over 100 ‘megapod’ species form a well‐supported clade confined to the Old World tropics in all analyses. Separated as the family Argiolestidae, it comprises two subfamilies divided by Huxley's Line (Kalkman & Theischinger, ). This group includes all ‘megapod’ genera entirely lacking spines on the shaft of the genital ligula (Kalkman et al , ) except for Amanipodagrion and Protolestes , which do not seem to be closely related (see later).…”

New dragonflies and damselflies from Middle Miocene deposits in SW Bulgaria (Insecta: Odonata)

“…This fossil has very peculiar characters in that all the veins ending on the posterior wing margin are curved and there are numerous intercalary veins between nearly all the main veins, except between RP1 and IR1. Among the extant Zygoptera, only the Argiolestidae Fraser, 1957 (sensu Kalkman andTheischinger, 2013), the Pseudostigmatidae Kirby, 1890, and the Thaumatoneuridae Tillyard and Fraser, 1938 have such characters. Affinities with the Argiolestidae are excluded because they all have a reduced cubital area without the triadic branching of veins between CuA and the posterior wing margin.…”

“…Affinities with the Argiolestidae are excluded because they all have a reduced cubital area without the triadic branching of veins between CuA and the posterior wing margin. They also have AA separating from AP well distal of the basal side of the discoidal cell (Münz, 1919;Kennedy, 1925;Kalkman and Theischinger, 2013). The presence of secondary veins in the area between MP and CuA, the well-developed pterostigma, RA not strongly curved distal of the pterostigma, the presence of a cell between AA and the posterior wing margin below the subdiscoidal space would exclude affinities with the Pseudostigmatidae.…”

<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">The classification and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013) </span></span>

“…Molecular and morphological data indicate the group is not monophyletic and contains at least six independent lineages (Bybee et al 2008;Dumont et al 2010;Kalkman et al 2010;Rehn 2003;van Tol et al 2009). Recent molecular analyses suggest that all aforementioned families should be reinstated and up to eight additional families may require description (Dijkstra et al 2013;Kalkman & Theischinger 2013). 21.…”