I
Odonatologica
A
245-247
(4):
December
1966
(Anisoptera: Libellulidae)
R.+Moylan
West
Warren
Warren,
Research
Received
female
The
from
species
of Nesciothemis
single male,
a
where
this
the genus with
is
described
is known.
sex
Pinhey’s
Gambles
Road, Woodley, Reading,
(formerly Veterinary
August 4,
3AR, England
1972
nigeriensis,
and
RG5
Department, Vom, Nigeria)
a
compared
Reference
hitherto
species
with
the
is also made
to the
upper half
lic
and
base); anteclypeus
yellow;
frons
black, posterior
half
only
other
relationship
of
dark
nearest
two
yellow; occiput
small
yellow;
pale yellow spots
dark ochreous
postclypeus
brown, shading
to vertex
(allotype)
into
brown,
metallic black
anterior half of
above,
metal-
vertex
dark brown; eyes dark brown in
life,
but
after death.
paler
Thorax.-Deep
longitudinal
meral,
and
chocolate
faintly
indicated
Abdomen.-Moderately
a
anterior
narrow
large
slender,
circular
conspicuous
brownish
half segment
a
on
few
2,
and
adventitious
segment
8;
to
cream-yellow
a
narrower
lines
ventral
margins
which
surface
of
are
of
mesepi-
black.
oval
most
no
of its
spot
on
1
the
yellowish; median,
black marks
probably post
abdomen
length, pale
half of segment
longitudinal
of 3 and 4
but otherwise
central
posterior extremity
yellow antehumeral,
of uniform width for
half of this segment; anterior
from
foliations
a
yellowish spot covering posterior
transverse, and lateral carinae black,
apart
with
front of pro thorax
metepimeral stripes; metastigma black; legs
brown with
posterior
brown
from
stripe running
pterothorax;
and
latter with
(the
lower half of
mostly
basal part of dorsum
of the
Limnetothemis.
Head.-Labium and labrum black
the
known
females
Nesciothemis nigeriensis Gambles. Female
but
1972
descriptionof the female of Nesciothemis nigeriensis
Gambles,
at
I,
lightly
on
abdomen
mortem', small
pruinosed
with
245
whitish;
at
the
appendages
then
length,
with
a
to
yellowish
8
13
12
9
9
10
9
9
formula
in
the
two
mm in
Another
but
the
cells
Rspl
specimen,
pale
streak in the
rather
exactly
markings
29
damaged
the
the
on
same
and
in
fore and
right hindwing,
framed in
dark brown
hind; pterostigma
the left
12
segments
for
sent
was
the head and
thorax,
were
very
9
five
:
Rspl
cells doubled
fore-
in
10 9
-
4.35
hindwing,
on
second abdominal
13
Collec-
mm.
1971.
pattern and colour
first and
34
Hindwing
mm.
lacking
obvious. Nodal formula
three
left
brown
yellowish
from
varying
groove of the costa; nodal
Zaria, Nigeria, September 5,
-
wings,
prominent
centre.
doubled in
pale
8
much less
three-fifths of their
blackish brown and crossveins
yellow
a
for
cylindrical
vulvar scale thickened and
(excluding appendages)
ted beside Samaru Lake,
dissection. This had
mm,
all wings.
of abdomen
Length
main veins
brown;
others; pterostigma
0.9
x
0.24
x
shallow notch in the
;
veins, 4.4
1.48
spine-like point;
a
with
Wings hyaline,
three
to
tapering
margin,
blackish
black,
x
0.8
mm
in
4.6
forewings,
x
0.9
mm
in
hind.
The
minor,
female
colour of the
dark
enough
pterothorax,
from
these
thorax.
two
and
central
but
those
three
species
less
have
is
two
very much
for this
more
darkish
vertex
Museum
The four
females
are
N.pujoli,
are
farinosa.
(the
be
the
dark
paler, although
out
conspiit
distinguish
not
related fitzgeraldi
closely
lateral
but these
are
slightly
a
little
only
more
more
specimen
farinosa
tapered
to
the
to
dorsal
those of Orthe-
absent in
and minor it is
N.nigeriensis.
prominent
plain
in both
and flat.
in nigeriensis than in
abruptly.
farinosa
and
The paratype of fitzgeraldi in the
examined)
species of Nesciothemis referred
two
He also
on
stripes
has the
appendages missing,
so
compared.
known.
from
and
farinosa
stand
to
and similar in pattern
pronounced,
whereas in
fitzgeraldi,
not
of
N.Nigeria, chiefly by
stripe
also from the
abdomen, festoon-shaped
appendages
these could
246
in
in the other
pale
from
distinguished
which however resembles nigeriensis in the dark-coloured sides
minor, where they end
British
be
border of the vulvar scale is thickened and somewhat
nigeriensis
The
which
species
cancellatum, though
The
can
fairly commonly
of the
edges
The other
surface of the
trum
the
at
(East African),
the
occur
The bicoloured dorsum of the frons and of the
cuously.
only
of nigeriensis
both of which
However,
males
places
PINHEY
taken
in
the
to
(1971)
above
has
Central
his genus Limnetothemis
are
African
in
the
recently
only
ones
described
Republic,
synonymy,
whose
a
fifth,
closest
to
thereby making
his
L.erythra
neither
be
arranged
farinosa
to
sixth
nor
a
as
The
its
to
would be
Pinhey
allotype
collection,
with
is desired
of
and
are
known.
grading
series
species), nigeriensis,
of Nesciothemis
species
erythra
erythra
groups. If it
themis
a
pujoli
slender red
available
for
the
The
the
which includes
one
can
broad-bodied
still fall into
subgenera,
two
females of
six-species
comparatively
abdomen, they
separate them into
1966).
the males of the
from the dark and
two
name
distinct
Limneto-
erythra (type-
fitzgeraldi.
N.nigeriensis,
and will be
(PINHEY,
Although
bequeathed
together
to
with
the
holotype,
is
in
my
own
the British Museum.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I
an
female
grateful
of this
to Dr
species,
and
Mrs M.J. PARR for
and for
inviting
me
supplying
to describe
with
me
the
previously
unknown
it.
REFERENCES
PARR,
M.J. & M.
Nesciothemis
PARR,
1972.
The
nigeriensis Gambles,
PINHEY, E.C.G.,
1966. Odonata.
PINHEY, E.C.G.,
1971.
Arnoldia
(Rhodesia)
Odonata
5
(18):
occurrence
in
Expl.
of the
apparently rare
Zaria, Nigeria. Odonatologica
Parc. natn.
collected
in
Garamba,
Republique
1
Libellulid
(4):
Miss. H. de
dragonfly,
257-261.
Saeger
Centre-Africaine
45:
by
R.
1-114.
Pujol.
1-16.
247