Pseudagrion woodlarkensis sp. nov., a new damselfly species from Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

Abstract

Pseudagrion woodlarkensis sp. nov., a new damselfly species from Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea, is described and male and female characters are illustrated. The new species differs from all regional congeners by having a predominantly yellow thorax with bold black stripes, and males can be clearly distinguished from all Papuan Pseudagrion species by the complex and characteristic cerci which bear an inner process that is oriented obliquely upwards and directed posteriorly. Description of this species brings the number of Pseudagrion species currently known from the Papuan biogeographic subregion to 17.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DE239A6D-6805-441E-8BA0-0CBBEAB18587

Keywords:

• Odonata
• dragonfly
• Coenagrionidae
• Pseudagrion woodlarkensis;
• new species
• Woodlark Island
• Papua New Guinea

Acknowledgements

Fieldwork on Woodlark Island was supported by Woodlark Mining Limited and SJR is particularly grateful to George and Eleanor Clapp of WML's Environment Department for their assistance and support. Francis Crome and Daniel Moriarty also assisted the second author's work in various ways. The PNG National Research Institute and Department of Environment and Conservation approved the second author's research visa, and the export of specimens respectively. The first author's (DG) thanks are due to Dr Rory A. Dow (RMNH, Leiden) and Mr Hans-Joachim Krammer (ZFMK, Bonn) for assisting with multifocal stacking photography. Lisa Capon kindly produced the map.