Castoraeschna colorata (Martin 1908)

Castoraeschna colorata Tables 2, 4, 5, 9, 12, 13, 19; PI. VII; Map 4
1908. Aeschna colorata Martin, Colls. Zool. Selys-Longchps. fasc. 18: 58 (9
only, Ypiranga, Brazil, coll. Needham). 1 1952. Castoraeschna colorata Calv., Ent. News 63: 264. 2
Material studied. — Brazil: Laguna Olho d'Agua, abril de 1949, Minas Geraes, 1 & 13.645 N. Dias dos Santos in litt. 8 de Junho de 1950, in coll. dos Santos; Ypiranga [Parana?] Nov. 6, 1897, 1 9 holotype of Martin, in coll. Needham.
Distribution. — Brazil as above.
Altitudinal Range.— 500-1000 m. (1645-3290 ft.).
Seasonal Range. — November is in the wet season, April near its end in these parts of Brazil, the southern summer. See antea, page 184, on the seasonal range of C. castor.
$ . Face pale green, becoming gamboge on the dorsal surface of the frons, the latter with a dark brown (ronian sepia) stem of a headless T-spot, stem widening cephalad ; a dark brown transverse stripe on the middle of the transverse rugulae of the anterior surface of the frons, this stripe not as long as the width of the stem on the dorsal frontal surface ; viewed from in front the area occupied by the transverse rugulae is convex above, concave below, the right and left ends rounded. Below the area of the transverse rugulae are 13-14 much shorter vertical rugulae. Rhinarium (anteclypeus), labrum and bases of mandibles almost smooth, becoming pale bluish, labrum slightly reddish at the middle of its slightly sinuate free margin, labium pale bluish.
Pronotum pale brown ochre, hind margin narrowly pale green
Pterothorax burnt siena with apple green antehumeral (mesepisternal), mesepimeral and metepimeral stripes (widths as on Table 4), in side view of the thorax the burnt siena and green occupy almost equal areas, while in castor the area of the green is less, cf. figs. 84, PI. VII, and 73, PI. VI.
Abdomen contracted vertically and horizontally behind segment 2, thence of subuniform width and height to its apex ; the postero-dorsal transverse ridge of seg. 1 in profile view inclined slightly caudad, its height .65 mm. above the dorsal surface of the anterior half of the segment (= .17 of the height of that half).
Abdomen burnt siena becoming darker posteriorly, with pale bluish ( ?) spots as follows: MD on 2-6, PD on 1-10, those on 6-10 being apparently united with PD + PL, AL on 2-8; no pale blue on the ventral surface, dorsum of 10 chiefly apple green, anterior fourth and hind tenth dark brown.
Auricles with 5 (right), 4 (left) posterior teeth.
Postero-ventral tergal processes of 1 in profile view slope ventrad and caudad for the whole length of the segment, form an acute angle almost at the level of the hind margin of the segment, measure .66 mm. high along their hind margin from the ventral margin of seg. 2 ; at .7 of their height from the ventral margin of 2 each process is .09 mm. wide, i.e., 1 /7 as wide as its height, apex with four denticles on its hind margin; in ventral view each of these processes projects mesad toward its fellow of the opposite side, from which it is separated by ca. .65 mm., underlies the anterior margin of the sternum of 2 and shows a row of ca. six denticles on the hind surface of its black tip.
Anterior lamina with spines .52 mm. long, their free apical ends, .19 mm. long, visible as free only in an oblique latero-mesal view, reaching caudad to only slightly caudad of the level of the anterior end of hamular processes. Sheath of the penis anteriorly acute, bifid. Vesicle (first segment) of the penis bilobed in ventral view, terminal segment (glans) expanded on each side so as to equal the vesicle in width and terminating in two median filaments (cornua) the dorsal much the longer, as shown in our fig. 89, PI. VII. Genital lobe rounded, projecting ventrad, with 5-8 minute denticles on its margin. Posterior hamules each with a tuft of long hairs directed caudad.
Superior appendages in dorsal view subparallel, lateral margin a little convex throughout, mesal margin straight to an intero-ventral, minutely denticulated tubercle at .17 of the appendage length, thence concave for an equal distance, thence convex for the middle .4, thence nearly straight and parallel with the lateral margin for the terminal fourth, which is bent toward its fellow of the opposite side, apex truncated laterad and caudad, mesal angle rounded, lateral angle obtuse, mesal margin for the terminal ^4 of its length with hairs up to .6 mm. long but nowhere exceeding the width of the appendage, lateral margin with very short (.03 mm.) hairs. In profile view upper margin slightly concave, a superior carina increasing gradually in height caudad to a maximum of ca. .16 mm. slightly before the apex which is obtuse, not curved ventrad; lower margin almost straight to the intero-ventral tubercle, thence forming a bent line to one-half of the appendage length, whence it runs dorsad for the terminal half.
Inferior appendage triangular in dorsal view, sides almost straight, in profile view slightly concave above, slightly convex below, reaching to the level of half-length of the superiors where the bend of their lower margin is situated, pale brown ochre, black and bituberculate at extreme apex, basal dorsal fourth with a rounded tubercle, a little darker in color, whose anterior end is concealed between the superiors.
Wings faintly smoky, stigmata and longitudinal veins at and near the anterior margins pale brown ochre, membranule blackish, narrowly whitish along the bounding veins.
The female holotype, when received by me from Prof. J. G. Needham, was in many fragments enclosed in a cellophane envelope. The fragments consist of ( 1 ) the head, thorax and attached basal portions of the left front and hind wings and abd. segs. 1 & 2; (2-4) abdominal segments 3 or 4, 5 and 6; (5) abd. segs. 7-10; (6-7) parts of two legs: (8) one abd. app. : (9) left front wing, nodus to stigma: (10) left hind wing, apex and nodal area; (11) wing fragments; (12) right hind wing mounted on a microscope slide; one abd. segment is lost, either 3 or 4, I can not determine which.
This holotype, when described by Martin, was apparently in better condition as he gives its total length as 65 mm., abdomen 48 mm. 1 The corresponding figures in its present condition are 58 and 41 mm., due to the absence of one abdominal segment.
This holotype female differs from the male as follows : Face, vertex, occiput and labium pale clay yellow, stem of the headless T-spot of the frons brown
ochre, no dark marking on the anterior surface of the frons, rhinarium and labrum concolorous with the face. The fragments of the legs are apparently one first femur and both second legs ; all are pale brown ochre including the second tarsi, spines and denticles black. Abdomen compressed, much less contracted behind seg. 2, posterior half of 2 elevated similarly to male. Pale green spots as follows : MD on 3 or 4-7, PD on 2-, 3or 4-9, AL on 2 and 8, on other segments doubtful, dorsum of 10 pale chrome yellow. Ventral process of 1 at the hind margin of the segment in profile view 1.47 mm. wide at base, directed ventrad and cephalad, projecting .5 mm. from the ventral surface, fig. 83, PI. VII. Tergum of 10 damaged, not clear whether there is a mid-dorsal carina or not, about 50 denticles on the sternum of 10, no dorsal pits on 9 or 10. Ovipositor and genital valves gamboge, palps of genital valves lost, lateral genital valves concealed except at base by the tergum of 9 on each side. One detached anal appendage is preserved and is concolorous with 10, straight, acute at apex on lateral (?) margin. Wings faintly yellowish along the anterior margin for the basal Y of their length, widening toward the base, stigma pale clay yellow, membranule almost white throughout.
Dimensions. — Total length $ 64, 2 65 mm. 1 Abdomen (excl. apps.) $ 42, 2 48, x sup. apps. S 5.07, 2 1.18, hind wing S 40, 2 45, pterostigma, front wing, costal edge $ 4.09, 2 4.34 mm. Front wings with 15-17 antenodals, 1012 postnodals, hind wings with 10-11 antenodals, 11-14 postnodals.