New status for Fraser’s forgotten Aciagrion approximans krishna, stat. nov. (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) from the Western Ghats of India

Shantanu Joshia , Oleg E. Kosterinb,c , Krushnamegh Kuntea

  1. National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
  2. Institute of Cytology & Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
  3. Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 19, Issue 1-2, Pages 41-51, 2016
https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2016.1166463
Published: 2 April 2016 (Received: 15 November 2015, Accepted: 12 March 2016)

Abstract

Aciagrion Selys, 1891 is one of the taxonomically difficult and poorly known genera of Oriental damselflies. Aciargion hisopa race krishna Fraser, 1921 was described from Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, India. However, later Fraser (1933) doubted the taxonomic necessity of this taxon. His notion of Aciagrion hisopa (Selys, 1876) was erroneous, as evidenced by syntypes of this species in Selys’ collection, so the ssp. krishna is not conspecific with A. hisopa. Topotypic specimens of ssp. krishna from the Western Ghats were compared to specimens of Aciagrion approximans (Selys, 1876) from the Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, which are topotypical because of the recent designation of the neotype of this species in Selys’ collection. These two series were found to be very close to each other but differing at the level of subspecies, so we propose a new subspecies status and combination, Aciagrion approximans krishna Fraser, 1921. The range and geographical variation of A. approximans beyond India is clarified.

Keywords: damselfly, topotypes, subspecies nov, taxonomic revision, peninsular India

Issue section: Article